Wanderlust

Category: Features

  • Market Find: 2023 SQ8 in Sepang Blue, also with Audi exclusive Interior

    Market Find: 2023 SQ8 in Sepang Blue, also with Audi exclusive Interior

    What: 2023 Audi SQ8 Premium Plus
    Color: Sepang Blue Pearl Effect Metallic (sepangblaupearleffekt; metallic; LY5Q; Audi)
    VIN: WA1AWBF11PD034802 
    Mileage: 72 miles
    Price: $91,798
    CarFax: Link
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: H Greg Lux, Pompano Beach, FL
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Once a production color on a range of Audi models, Sepang Blue Pearl Effect built an appreciable following amongst the Audi owner base when it was more commonly found in the standard color palette for Audi models. In as much, it’s an attractive choice on cars where it isn’t offered… cars like a 2023 SQ8.

    And if the story ended here, that’d be enough to grab our attention. Interestingly, the story doesn’t end here. While tastefully unique on the outside, the original client ordering this specification also dove deep into the interior as well. It’s here where most North American market Audi exclusive builds tend not to bother, and in as much it’s here where a car can really set itself apart.

    In this case, the buyer went with a unique configuration of the standard black leather, but with bold yellow stitching on most seating surfaces, also adding Alcantara to components like the steering wheel and yellow leather piping to the floor mats and seat belts.

    Blue and yellow isn’t the most common color scheme, so you have to wonder? Ukrainian decent? Michigan fan? Who knows.

  • Market Find: 1972 Aston Martin DBS V8 in Hermès Orange

    Market Find: 1972 Aston Martin DBS V8 in Hermès Orange

    What: 1972 Aston Martin DBS V8
    Color: Hermès Orange (unknown)
    Chassis #: V8/10519/RCA
    Mileage: 72,528 kilometers, 45,066 miles
    Estimated Price: US$130,000 – US$180,000
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Bonhams Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Auction, Paris, France
    Auction listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Spoiler alert. The car you see here has been repainted, but in grand style and a truly unique shade that makes it so very one-of-a-kind that we can’t not report on it. The car you see here was actually delivered new as a right-hand drive coupé painted Cairngorm Brown with an Olive interior – a very subdued British car for a British customer who lived not far from the Aston Martin factory.

    After shuffling through a few well-accounted for owners, the car shifted to the ownership of a prominent Emir in 2010 who commissioned a conversion to left-hand drive and a color change inside and out to Hermès orange.

    From there it went to its current owner, who had it restored by Le Clos de Calatrava in collaboration with Aston Martin Works UK, completing that job in October 2024. Even still, the unique orange on orange color choice was retained.

    The car is now ready for its next owner and will be sold as part of Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Auction in early February.

  • EU Market Find: 1996 BMW Individual Madeira Violet Metallic 320i Convertible

    EU Market Find: 1996 BMW Individual Madeira Violet Metallic 320i Convertible

    What: 1996 BMW 320i Convertible
    Color: BMW Individual Madeira Violet Metallic (madeiraviolett; metallic uni; 302; BMW)
    VIN: Unknown
    Mileage: 172,000 kilometers
    Price: €11,690
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Dessau-Roßlau, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
    Sales listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Differing ever so slightly from BMW’s Techno Violet, BMW Individual Madeira Violet Metallic is a visually stunning purple that can really play visual tricks depending on conditions. In some lighting, it almost appears to be BMW’s Cosmos Black due to the color’s blue and purple metallic flake. Whatever your interpretation of it, this BMW Individual Madeira Violet Metallic E36 ‘vert is the latest in European Market Finds that we feel represents good value for money, offering a way for the everyman or woman to dip their toe into the world of Tailored Driver. With the right importer like Orchid Euro, this could be landed, plated, and insured for well under $20,000.

  • Market Find: 2018 Porsche Paint to Sample Graphite Blue Metallic Macan GTS

    Market Find: 2018 Porsche Paint to Sample Graphite Blue Metallic Macan GTS

    What: 2018 Porsche Macan GTS
    Color: Paint to Sample Graphite Blue Metallic (graphitblau; metallic uni; M5G / A7; Porsche)
    VIN: WP1AG2A50JLB61999
    Mileage: 60,140 miles
    Price: $32,985
    CarFax: Link
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Mercedes-Benz of Pleasanton, CA
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    A modern Porsche, in Paint to Sample Graphite Blue Metallic, for $32k. Say what you will, but that’s a compelling statement. Graphite Blue Metallic was one of the more interesting standard colors from the 991 generation of Porsche’s 911, appearing nearly Nardo Grey at first glance, but with just enough cyan to have a clear differentiation. Applied here to a Macan GTS, it’s subtle enough to not require a card carrying extrovert as owner, but certainly will stand out from the other Macans you see around town. We’d happily add this to our stable as a daily.

  • Market Find: 2023 Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur Desert Sand G63 4×4 Squared

    Market Find: 2023 Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur Desert Sand G63 4×4 Squared

    What: 2023 Mercedes-Benz G63 4×4 Squared
    Color: Manufaktur Desert Sand (Wüstensand; non metallic-UNI; 464; Mercedes-Benz)
    VIN: W1NYC8AJ3PX463227
    Mileage: 10,798 miles
    Price: $349,500
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Lifted Trucks Phoenix, Glendale, AZ
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    It’s hard to explain exactly why, but beige in some instances is incredibly good. Long a metaphor for boring, beige and it’s variants are having an absolute moment, whether it’s Audi’s Siam Beige and Mocha Latte, or the Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur Sand Beige seen here. It’s a clear play to the G-wagen’s military and industrial heritage, both of which propelled sales for a few decades before the G became a shuttle for wealthy American urbanites. Perhaps Sand Beige is most fitting on this particular 4×4 squared variant, the most rough and ready of the Geländewagen lineup.

  • EU Market Find: 1992 Porsche 911 Turbo in Mint Green

    EU Market Find: 1992 Porsche 911 Turbo in Mint Green

    What: 1992 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3
    Color: Mint Green (mintgrün; non-metallic UNI; 22R; Porsche)
    VIN: WP0ZZZ96ZNS470XXX
    Mileage: 309 km / 192 miles
    Price: Upon Request
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Dipl. Wirt.-Ing. Manfred Hering, EARLY 911S e. K., Wuppertal, Germany
    Listing: Link

    Why We Love It:

    We’re hitting a theme this week of cars that have experienced color changes, and this one may be the most interesting yet. Get past the fact that it seems like you rarely if ever see a 964-generation 911 Turbo in Mint Green (much less one with less than 200 miles on the odometer), because that’s just the beginning of the story. You see, this car left the factory painted Paint to Sample Gulf Orange (gulforange; 019; non-metallic UNI; Porsche) with black interior.

    According to the ad, the car received a full restoration presumably with color change by the massive classic Porsche dealer in Germany where it is currently for sale. They also have a comprehensive list of options. And while we suspect most all of it came on the car from the factory, the mention of a Mint Green shift knob and the sight of the mint green Porsche Tequipment steering wheel do make us wonder if those were fitted in the (Gulf Orange) car from new, or added when the car switched to Mint Green.

    The list of equipment is as follows:

    139 Heated seats, left seat
    220 limited slip differential 40%
    231 Michelin tires
    288 headlight cleaning system
    327 Radio “Symphony RDS”
    340 heated seats, right seat
    403 cup cast wheel, 17 inch
    423 cassettes and coin containers
    425 rear window wiper
    437 Comfort seat on the left, electrically adjustable
    438 comfort seat right, electrically adjustable
    441 Radio preparation
    481 manual transmission
    488 Inscription German
    490 sound package
    494 additional amplifiers
    499 version for the Federal Republic of Germany
    562 Airbag driver and passenger side
    573 air conditioning
    605 headlight range adjustment
    650 Electric sunroof
    659 on-board computer
    685 Split rear seats
    930 rear seat covers, leather
    975 trunk lining with velor carpet
    981 leather interior without seat covers
    983 front seat covers, leather
    X33 engine performance increase 911 Turbo
    XK7 shiftgearknob mintgreen
    XU1 Remote control central locking

    Whatever the case, this is an incredibly unique car in an incredibly unique and period correct color. Mint Green had just been introduced at the time as one of the Carrera Cup colors. While uncommon in general, it was most common in the 964-era 911 Carrera RS, and occasionally seen on other period cars like 911 Cabriolets and the occasional 968.

  • Color Focus: Mercedes-AMG Green Hell Magno – 376

    Color Focus: Mercedes-AMG Green Hell Magno – 376

    CODES: 376 / 6376

    COLOR DATA:

    TYPE: Metallic Matte

    CONTENT ARCHIVE: Green Hell Magno

    SUMMARY:

    If Green Hell Magno looks right at home on the AMG GT R from Mercedes-AMG, that’s because it was created to celebrate the car. You see, the AMG GTR spent most of its development time on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschliefe circuit (a.k.a. the “Green Hell”).

    Likely the color comes from the green forest that surround the historic Norschliefe, and certainly they inspired the name in the track’s nickname. The other part of that name, “Magno”, is Mercedes-Benz speak for matte paint finish. In the end, it’s likely the most striking (and fitting) of the colors offered on the AMG GT R.

    VIDEO REFERENCE:

    PHOTO REFERENCE:

  • Market Find: 2022 Audi RS Q8 with Audi exclusive Ocean Blue Leather

    Market Find: 2022 Audi RS Q8 with Audi exclusive Ocean Blue Leather

    What: 2022 Audi RS Q8
    Color: Audi Glacier White (Gletscherweiß; pearl effect; LS9R/2Y; Audi)
    VIN: WU1ARBF19ND010955
    Mileage: 17,606 miles
    Price: $99,900
    CarFax: Link
    Window Sticker: Pictured below
    Location: Marino Performance Motors, West Palm Beach, FL
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Sure, we love a good exterior but as they say- it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Audi’s Glacier White paint is augmented by the frankly stunning Audi exclusive Ocean Blue leather interior on this Tailored Driver, resulting in a fairly stealth OEM build if not for the copper Avant Garde wheels. Aftermarket carbon fiber bits are found throughout the exterior which certainly enhance the sportiness of this RS Q8, but frankly we’d be tempted to put it back stock. In our opinion, letting the Glacier White and Ocean Blue combo stand on its own is more than enough to stand out.

  • Market Find: 2024 Porsche Paint to Sample Oak Green Metallic 718 Spyder RS

    Market Find: 2024 Porsche Paint to Sample Oak Green Metallic 718 Spyder RS

    What: 2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS
    Color: Paint to Sample Oak Green Metallic (oakgrünmetallic; metallic uni; 265 / 22L / 60K; Porsche)
    VIN: WP0CE2A84RK240412
    Mileage: 1,204 miles
    Price: $259,991
    CarFax: Link
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Porsche Warrington, PA
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    We don’t play favorites at Tailored Driver, but if we did, Porsche Oak Green Metallic would be a strong contender. A deeper shade than Aston’s Racing Green, Oak Green features a gold metallic flake that genuinely pops in direct sunlight. While it was introduced in the ’70s, Oak has seen a resurgence recently and we’ve seen it featured on both Audi and Porsche models via their respective Tailoring programs. Here it’s been applied to arguably the most exciting of Porsche’s current topless lineup, where the yellow brake calipers do a great job of further enhancing Oak Green’s aforementioned gold flake.

  • Event: BMW Individual Cars & Coffee Hosted by the 490Club

    Event: BMW Individual Cars & Coffee Hosted by the 490Club

    It’s great to see tailored cars coming into their own as an impetus to have a gathering. Sometimes it’s something as large as Rare Shades or a simpler club gathering like the one we recently had the pleasure to attend. Held by the 490 Club and organized by Gabriel Roque, it was primarily a mix of BMW Individual owners who gathered on January 4th Buenas Cafe y Mas in Costa Mesa, CA.

    The gathering was open, meaning all makes and models were welcome at the gathering. However, designated parking went to the tailored BMWs.

    The mix of Individual cars was an enjoyable focus. First up were two M3s parked next to each other, one F80 and another G80.

    Some of the cars in attendance to highlight: two laguna seca M3s. one F80 and the other one G80, they later parked next to each other at the show. Another car you couldn’t miss was Liz Susitko’s Mint Green F80 M3 – one of four produced worldwide. More subtle, but no less notable was another F80 M3 in Moonstone Metallic.

    We’ve run a gallery from the gathering below. Check it out.