When you think of Las Vegas, chances are that images of bright lights come to mind- whether those lights are on the strip, or perched atop one of the city’s many slot machines. Along with those thoughts also come strong feelings, as Vegas is a fairly divisive love-it-or-hate-it kind of town. Perhaps through that lens, Audi naming this hue “Vegas Yellow” is appropriate in more ways than one.
Currently for sale at friends of the site Audi Wilmington (Delaware), this Audi exclusive Vegas Yellow S5 Coupe (VIN: WAUP4AF54PA036139) was initially ordered by a dealer employee who is a card-carrying member of Team Fun. While most would not consider Vegas Yellow, we think this S5 pulls it off quite well, especially having been paired with the Black Optic package. On the inside things are much more tame, with black leather sport seats featuring deviated stitching and carbon fiber trim.
We were big fans of Vegas Yellow when it debuted on the Audi TT S and S3, and we’re also big fans of Audi Wilmington. So call us biased, but if you’re in the market for an S5 with Tailored Driver cred, we think it’d be pretty hard to do much better than this. See the full details of this Audi exclusive Vegas Yellow S5 on Audi Wilmington’s website, here.
If you want to make a paint color forgettable, call it “beige” and make it a launch color on your first EV. That’s exactly what Audi did with the paint color you see here. Dubbed “Siam Beige” it debuted on Ingolstadt’s first e-tron. And while debatably it may very well have been the best-looking paint color offered on the e-tron, product managers shared with us at the time that it had the lowest install rate of any color sold standard on that car.
Why? It was called “beige”. That doesn’t exactly spell out excitement. Even still, we’d argue Siam Beige should get more love than it does. If you’re a fan of subtle tonal colors like Porsche’s Chalk, Crayon or Fashion Grey, then Audi exclusive’s Siam Beige is worth a second look. Alas, when it comes to client-chosen Audi exclusive colors, it often gets overlooked just as it did in the original e-tron’s color guide.
So, when we see car’s like this, we’re reminded why we love it so much. The car you see here is a MY2021 Audi R8 V10 RWD that’s part of the Audi Certified Pre-Owned inventory at Audi Melbourne… (Florida, not Australia).
While we wish Audi Melbourne would have closed the ajar frunk on the R8 for their photos, we applaud them for listing the color in the ad listing. The latter is especially helpful on a color like this shot in a showroom where it can be mistaken for a silver or other grey, leaving it nearly impossible to identify without the aid of the individual who used care filling out the listing. Hat tip to them then.
We find a car as in-your-face as an R8 often looks great in an understated yet handsome tone. Siam Beige fits the bill just fine, and we applaud the original owner for building it to that spec. Should you wish to be the next owner, check it out at Audi Melbourne.
Woof. When this BMW Individual Slate Green Metallic (slategrün; metallic; 449; BMW) M3 Coupe (VIN: WBSBL93422JR16526) popped up on our radar, we were quite simply floored. A claimed 1-of-1 spec in a color that may have raised more than a few eyebrows in Munich when ordered, Slate Green Metallic paired with Cinnamon leather and Style 163M wheels commonly found on the Competition package is peak M3.
Currently on offer at Ryan Friedman Motor Cars, this M3 has covered just 8,947 miles since new. That works out to be about 406 miles annually, which means the car really was never used, and likely never really will be either. So what we have here is genuinely a real contender for best E46 M3 in existence, which will go on to be a crown jewel in someone’s private collection, or become s centerpiece at one of the world’s more prestigious museums.
If you’ve got the means, do not hesitate to give Ryan Friedman Motor Cars a call, or if you’re feeling frisky just click the Buy It Now button on their site and work out the details later. After all, this is one that you likely won’t see again. Check out the full listing for this Tailored Driver, here.
It’s early 1984 in West Germany, and after a banner 1983 at the firm, your pockets are lined with Deutsche Marks. So you do the most logical thing possible, and spec out your very own brand new 911. But your colleagues all have them too, so yours must be different. You glance out the window at your wife’s 300TD wagon and think to yourself- yep, that’ll set me apart. It’ll be Mercedes Midnight Blue metallic, ordered via Porsche’s Paint to Sample program, and for a further punch to your coworkers’ gut, you’ll pair it with leather to sample in Grey. Frankie Goes to Hollywood comes on the radio. Life is good.
Fast forward to today, this Paint to Sample Midnight Blue Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe (VIN: WP0ZZZ91ZES101928) has aged pretty well- far better than the hits that once rattled its speakers. Modern touches are fairly limited here, with a Continental single-din radio with Bluetooth capability being the most obvious, and that’s just the way we’d want it.
This Paint to Sample Midnight Blue Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe is currently offered for sale by Bring a Trailer power seller 911r at an at-time-of-writing bid of $19,911 with 6 days remaining. We’d bet it’ll finish somewhere quite a bit north of that.
See the full auction for this Tailored Driver, here.
One of just 150 examples of the Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin Valkyrie is headed for sale as part of RM Sotheby’s upcoming Dubai Auction. It’s a rare occurrence when these cars go up for public sale, offering us a chance to take a closer look at the specification.
This car (chassis: SCF4KRB44NGS70090) is painted Lunar White. It features gloss carbon roof and red graphic strakes. Inside, Pure Black Deboss Alcantara is accented by Spicy Red stitching according to the RM Sotheby’s auction catalogue.
Want to read more? We’ve got the Lot description below and you can also find it directly over at RM Sotheby’s auction website HERE.
One of only 150 examples of Aston Martin’s ultimate Valkyrie road-legal hypercar
Co-designed by multiple Formula 1 championship-winning designer Adrian Newey
Exterior finished in Lunar White with a gloss carbon roof featuring red graphic strakes; Pure Black Deboss Alcantara interior complemented by Spicy Red stitching
Powered by an electric motor-assisted Cosworth V-12 making 1,160 horsepower; capable of 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and a claimed top speed exceeding 400 km/h
Single ownership from new; displays only 109 kilometres at the time of cataloguing
[source: RM Sotheby’s]
The original “Nebula” internal codename for what would eventually become the Valkyrie was entirely fitting. Aerospace-grade engineering runs throughout this fully carbon fibre, road-legal hypercar that is capable of single-seater levels of performance. The letters in “Nebula” also denoted the key stakeholders involved, with multiple Formula 1 World Championship-winning car designer Adrian Newey and his Red Bull Racing team working alongside Aston Martin as the marque dramatically pivoted away from the grand tourers with which it had long been most associated.
A seven-year gestation period for the Valkyrie (the final model name derived from Norse mythology) reflected the project’s immense complexity. Elegant bodywork featuring the trademark Aston Martin-grille does without unsightly aerodynamic devices. An emphasis was placed instead on the open underfloor that employs Venturi tunnels running either side of the teardrop-shaped cockpit to feed an enormous diffuser. For this attempt at creating a Grand Prix car for the streets, extreme management of the airflow allows the Valkyrie to achieve over 3.5-G through high-speed corners, approximately three times that of a conventional sports car. All told, it can generate a genuinely tyre-bursting two tonnes of downforce.
Under the skin, there’s no steel to be found in the structure of the car. To achieve the best power-to-weight ratio, carbon fibre dominates the chassis, of which the engine is fully stressed member. Rather than conventional mounts that dampen the experience, the 65-degree, naturally aspirated, 6.5-litre V-12 is attached directly to the monocoque with four bolts. Created by Cosworth, who started on the project by developing a straight-three unit, the engine has a screaming rev limit of some 11,100 rpm. Fitted with an electric motor and a battery pack suppled by Rimac, the Valkyrie develops a total of 1,160 horsepower, which is sent to the rear wheels only via a Ricardo-manufactured seven-speed sequential transmission.
The attention-to-detail involved with realising the Valkyrie is simply staggering. On most Aston Martin models, the famous “Wings” badge is enamelled and proudly protrudes from the bonnet. Such an item was deemed too heavy and too disruptive to the airflow in this application but substituting it for a mere decal was deemed unsatisfactory. As such, this car is optioned with a special titanium badge just 40 microns thick. Quoted as being 99.4 per cent lighter than normal, the new symbol was then laid into the paint for a flush fit.
Further underlining the engineering boundaries being pushed throughout, Aston Martin says the rear brake light is the smallest and brightest ever fitted to a production car. What’s more, there are a reported 15,187 adjustable parameters across the Valkyrie. This ultimately led to the fitment of a hydraulics system with 17 different actuators borrowed from a Boeing Apache helicopter to keep pace with the active aerodynamics, double wishbone suspension, and damping.
Then there’s the single windscreen wiper. While it was initially thought that the model might do without, the potential for a car to one day be caught at a set of red lights in a downpour led Aston Martin to find a company that could provide a sleek unit that would not spoil the silhouette but would still clean the extremely curved windscreen. As a result, after a year of development on the wiper alone, the Valkyrie uses the same supplier as the Space Shuttle programme.
A truly astonishing feat of engineering, this 2022 model year example has been consigned to auction by its original owner. The Valkyrie’s odometer remarkably reads just 109 kilometres at the time of cataloguing.
Ordered new to Japan, factory records show that this left-hand drive, European-specification car carries a 19 October 2022 build date. It was finished predominantly in Lunar White, with the exterior also featuring a gloss carbon roof panel and striking red graphic strakes. Red callipers for the enormous carbon-ceramic brakes nestle behind Satin Black Magnesium wheels, which are remarkably lighter than their accompanying tyres. In addition, almost £120,000 was spent on options, with this Valkyrie gaining a polished carbon engine plenum, Inconel exhaust system with black finishers, plus a gloss carbon engine cover.
As for the compact cockpit, a copy of the build sheet records that the racing-style seats were trimmed in Pure Black Deboss Alcantara complemented by Twill Satin Carbon Fibre for the roof inserts. To match the exterior accents, the optional six-point race harness and anodised switchgear were specified in red, while the stitching is listed as “Spicy Red”. This Valkyrie was sold new on 10 March 2023 ahead of a service being carried out on 24 November later that year, with the car then recorded at 84 kilometres.
Given the very limited numbers in which the Valkyrie was produced, here is an incredible opportunity to purchase an as-new coupé example that would surely be among the crowning glories of any significant sports car or motorsport-inspired collection.
While on a recent trip to Philadelphia’s Main Line to take part in Radnor Hunt Concours weekend festivities, we had a moment to swing through some local dealerships and kick tires. You see, this is where many Philadelphia’s wealthy families call home. This means many of the brands featured here are not hard to find in the average parking lot, putting the ability to stick out at a premium. For Tailored Driver, that means it’s a target rich environment.
Case in point is this Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur Cote d’Azure Blue (cotedazurblau; metallic UNI; 385; Mercedes-Benz) AMG GT 53 sedan, sporting Manufaktur Nut Brown and Black Signature leather (VIN: W1K7X6BB2RV002155) that was found in the window of Mercedes-Benz of Devon. Part of the store’s larger Manufaktur section (yes, they have that), this AMG GT is exactly the level of subtlety you’d expect from the area’s generational-wealth clientele.
This Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur Cote d’Azure Blue AMG GT 53 sedan is currently on offer for an asking price of $151,900 at the aforementioned Mercedes-Benz of Devon, Pennsylvania. Learn more about this Tailored Driver, here.
Alright, we’ll level with you. Green over tan isn’t exactly groundbreaking, and if you’ve been here for a bit you’ve certainly seen it before. But for the truly afflicted, the nuance of this Audi exclusive RS 6 Avant in Oak Green Metallic paired with Cognac extended leather an matching(!) seat belts is clearly a cut above.
Currently on offer at Audi Pacific in Torrance, California, the RS 6 (VIN: WUA1CBF22NN902419) you see here represents arguably the best of the Volkswagen Group’s portfolio- a monumentally fast wagon in a Porsche color. Equally at home in the canyons and in the pick-up line at your local elementary school, we simply have zero edits. Whoever initially spec’d this one crushed it.
Having covered just under 17,000 miles and priced at $103,995, this Audi exclusive Oak Green Metallic RS 6 Avant seems like a pretty good deal too. It’s clearly been loved, used, and it’s ready for the right home. We sincerely hope that home is with one of you.
See the full listing for this Tailored Driver, here.
To quote YouTuber and Cars and Bids founder Doug DeMuro.. “Now THIS is cool!” We’re big fans of BMW’s Z3 platform and even bigger fans of early BMW Individual builds, so when this came across our desk there was admittedly hesitation- do we add to the fleet, or do we showcase for our obsessive audience?
This BMW Individual Atlantis Blue Z3 2.5i Roadster (VIN: WBACN33411LK46065) might not pack the punch of it’s M sibling, but it’s still quite special in our eyes. To fully understand why, consider that BMW Individual formally announced themselves in the US at the 2006 Miami Auto Show- a full five years after this car was built. To put it bluntly, the original curator of this Z3 had some insider knowledge.
If you fancy yourself a cheap point of entry into the world of Tailored Driver, look no further. This BMW Individual Atlantis Blue (atlantisblau; metallic; 399; BMW) Z3 2.5i Roadster is currently located in Buffalo, New York and offered for sale by it’s current owner on Cars and Bids. At time of writing, the current bid is a scant $2,244. Find additional photos and more information about this Tailored Driver, here.
We love forums. They’re where we cut our automotive enthusiast teeth- we dreamed, we learned, we maybe embellished a little, and we met some friends along the way. Some on the Tailored Driver staff were even fortunate enough to call forums and the sites associated their employer. With all this as context, Market Finds sourced via the forums like this one almost feel like somewhat of a homecoming.
Finished in Paint to Sample Albert Blue and hiding more than $32,000 in custom tailoring approved through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program, this 911 Speedster (VIN: WP0CF2A96KS172707) represents the level of obsession that made forums the go-to for enthusiasts like us. So far as we can tell from the photos, Sonderwunsch tailoring is mostly in the form of (but likely not limited to) deviated brown extended leather on the dash, center console, steering wheel and upper door cards. For good measure, the owner also had Justin Placek create heritage seat inserts with additional lumbar pads to complete the package.
Speaking of the photos, they’re not great. And surprisingly enough, we’re also having trouble tracking down additional images from the usual suspects on Instagram like PTSRS, but that almost adds to the allure- a Tailored Driver, built for the Tailor themselves, and not for social media. So for this example we’ll forgive the less than ideal shots, because to have the vision and the funds to secure this build, the owner is clearly talented in other areas.
This Paint to Sample Albert Blue (albertblau; 325 / 1818 / 387; Porsche) Porsche 911 Speedster is currently for sale by owner in Scarsdale, New York at an asking price of $435,000. Find more information about this Tailored Driver on Rennlist, here.
Even though we’re primarily a U.S.-based publication and tend to focus on North American cars, we occasionally pivot to other markets. That might be to cal out a particularly unique color or compelling specification, or in the case of our Market Find series, it might be to call out a car that is either older than 25 years (so an easy import) or on the NHTSA list of importable cars. In the case of this purple 1995 968 Clubsport, it’s both older than 25 years and also a desirable model in an even more unique Paint to Sample color.
First, a little background. America did get the Porsche 968 coupé and cabriolet, however the more aggressively sporting Clubsport model never came here. And while the engine was largely the same as the U.S. model (think 964 RS America), it got a host of upgrades and lightening measures in order to make it more of a turn key track weapon with practically a 50:50 weight distribution. Since attaining 25 year status, 968 Clubsports have begun finding their way into the U.S., and Paint to Sample specimens tend to be the preferred lot.
When we consider Paint to Sample on the 968 Clubsport, we tend to see of that era’s Carrera Cup colors. Think Maritime Blue, Ruby Stone, Mint Green, or Speed Yellow. This one painted Amaranth Violet (L39D) may be the first purple 968 Clubsport we’ve seen.
This car was a Belgian-delivered example featuring the standard seats in black cloth, multi-function steering wheel, rear seats with backrests, basic alarm system and power door windows and mirrors. The car has logged 178,464 km (110,892 miles). It’s currently for sale in Belgium at Autos-David.be with a price of €44999.
