Motorola let loose a slew of new handsets today. Most are entry-level models for overseas markets, though two of the pleb-o-phones are headed for U.S. shores. But the real zinger is the gold-plated Razr2, which will only be available outside the U.S. No blinged out phone for the country that invented it? What gives, Moto?It's one thing to make a phone gold in color. It's another to actually plate it in 18-karat gold. That's exactly what Motorola is doing with its new high-fashion version of the Razr 2 Luxury Edition. It is taking the Razr 2 V8 (quad-band EDGE version that runs the JUIX user interface and is only available overseas) and plating the accents and trim on the phone with some auric. Mr. Goldfinger will definitely want one.

Not only that, but it will be sheathed in a snake-textured skin and other "luxurious" details such as pin stripes on the lens, an engraved diamond-cut pattern on the sideband, and a linear etching on the navigation wheel. As Paris Hilton would say, "That's Hot!"

For U.S. buyers who favor the blinged-out look, there's some bad news, I'm afraid. Moto is showing the birthplace of bling no props. The only way to get one will be to order it from overseas. It won't be available here.