by Mashfique H. Chowdhury

Ever get tired of driving what everyone else on the road seems to be driving? On the highway, the car ahead looks like a clone of your car, and you're wondering, "if I ram into the back of that car, would it feel like I just kicked my own behind?" Auto manufacturers have read your mind and have started churning out decked-out limited edition versions of their John Doe boremobiles or they now offer appearance packages to make you stand out in a crowd. Many of these cars are truly value-packed and affordable, but some of them are rarer than Ferraris, and they are sold out faster than tickets to a Britney Spears concert.

It all started off with cars such as the Mazda Protege MP3 and the Ford Mustang Bullitt, which were souped-up versions of their more pedestrian siblings. After the success of these cars, special packages and more special editions started showing up from all sorts of manufacturers. The trend seems to be gaining steam and now it is possible to look unique and stand out in a crowd without even touching an aftermarket parts catalog. The limited edition market caters to those who want to be different, yet don't have the time, experience or patience to dabble in aftermarket parts. Here are a few of these cars, and you can get your hands on one of these if you're lucky enough to have your local dealer offer them...