What: 2022 Audi RS Q8 Color: Audi exclusive Merlin Purple(merlinpurple; pearl effect UNI; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi) VIN: WU1ARBF14ND029378 Mileage: 26,523 miles Price: $103,942 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Manheim, PA Link: Manheim Imports
The formula here is pretty simple. This is a well-appointed RS Q8 in Audi exclusive Merlin Purple with black wheels and black optics that mute the purple just enough. However, it doesn’t end there.
Beyond the factory spec, this RS Q8 also sports a few added extras. For starters, it’s got matte PPF that transforms the Merlin Purple to Matte finish while also protecting it. It’s also got some choice Audi Accessories like rubber mats and roof bars – nothing extreme, but some niceties you don’t need to purchase yourself should you pick this one up.
What: 2018 Audi S5 sportback Color: Audi exclusive Merlin Purple(merlin purple; pearl effect; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi) VIN: WAUB4CF51JA075543 Mileage:75,577 miles Price: $34,988 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Milford, OH Link: Mid America Auto Group
While seemingly uncommon in the real world, Audi exclusive’s Merlin Purple sure is a frequent flyer in the world of Tailored Driver. Seen here on an S5 sportback, Merlin may not be for everyone but those bold enough to take the jump are rewarded with a deep, dynamic hue that is certain to be a conversation starter. At $35k, this Tailored Driver may be priced a bit higher compared to similar year and mile S5 sportbacks on the market and it does have an accident on the CarFax, but for the right buyer it might be worth the jump.
What: 2021 Audi Q3 Color: Audi exclusive Merlin Purple(merlin purple; pearl effect; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi) VIN: WA1EECF31M1132074 Mileage: 60,090 miles Price: $25,191 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Huffines Chevrolet, Plano, TX Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
The world of Tailored Driver never ceases to amaze. Just two weeks ago we featured a 2020 Audi Q3 in Audi exclusive Merlin Purple, and we waxed poetic about how uncommon it is to see a Q3 in a custom-order hue. Guess we’re eating crow here, as another Q3 in the very same Merlin Purple has been spotted in Texas. One model year newer, 15,000 fewer miles, unmodified, but same color. Being one year and two oil changes fresher, the price is also a bit higher at $25k. Still a deal in our eyes, and still likely to be the only one you’ll see on the road. Until, of course, another one pops up and we feature it here on Tailored Driver.
What: 2020 Audi Q3 Color: Audi exclusive Merlin Purple(pearl effect; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi) VIN: WA1FEDF30L1069459 Mileage: 74,995 miles Price at Time of this Writing: $23,499 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Audi Wilmington, Delaware Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
It’s not often we see Audi exclusive paint applied to the more everyman-friendly priced models, so when it does happen, we’re quick to take note. There’s a lot to like here- for just $23,499, you can be one of what we assume to be incredibly few who can call a Tailored Q3 their own. Price of entry aside, Merlin Purple may seem like a bold move to some, and yet it’s not the least bit out of place. If you’re in the market, we highly suggest heading to the First State to pick this up.
There’ve been specially painted Audi models probably since there’s been an Audi brand, but the arrival of Audi exclusive as a factory tailor service and resulting availability in the market of these unique specification cars only really dates back to the 1990s. It’s rare that we actually find cars from this period, so when we do we tend to celebrate it. When we find one that’s a truly collectible or sought after specification, well we go weak in the knees.
Given all of that, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear our jaws hit the floor when this listing was shared around the Tailored Driver team group chat. The B5 S4 holds a special place in enthusiasts’ heart, much less a well preserved manual transmission Avant. Now throw in Merlin Purple Pearl (merlin purple; pearl effect; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi) paint paired with blue Alcantara segmentation on its black leather interior and we’d argue it elevates a very well-preserved survivor to a pretty strong case for collector status.
On the downside, this car is located in Germany. On the upside, it was first registered in 1998 so a relatively easy import into the USA via contract services from the likes of Orchid Euro. That it’s European does suggest a few more complexities for acquisition, but its EU specification production also means it’s got EU specification options like that Audi exclusive paint or optional Recaro sport seats that were standard in the B5 RS 4 and we didn’t get in the U.S.A. until the B6 era.
Mileage is in kilometers, so it’s worth noting that 234,000 km equates to 145,000 miles. And while that’s not museum piece mileage, it is exceedingly low for this age of car. That the Avant looks largely unmodified also makes a strong case for its collectability.
So, is it worth buying and importing? We’d say yes. We’d also say that you better hurry, because you’re probably not the only people dropping the car’s current owner a message upon seeing these photos. We suspect you’ll be competing with many others to make a deal happen… maybe including us.
Most of the time, Audi exclusive orders are “sold orders”, meaning they’ve got an eager buyer waiting on them who carefully chose their specification. Sometimes that buyer is unable to take delivery, and sometimes these tailored cars get ordered for inventory. We can’t say we know the back story on this RS 6 Avant performance (VIN: WUA1DBF21RN905489) in stock at Audi Englewood in Englewood, NJ.
How do we know? Audi Englewood’s Andrew DeTerlizzi posted the car in the Audi Exclusive Classifieds / Listing Spotters (USA) user group on Facebook. We could see the car along with actual photos of the car on Audi Englewood’s website (HERE), but until Andrew posted it we weren’t sure of the exact color of purple. Now, thanks to him, we can confirm it’s Merlin Purple (merlin purple; pearl effect; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi). Thanks to Andrew for posting it in the group (a regular haunt of ours), and his confirming the final color.
Here’s what we know about the car. It’s an RS 6 performance (basically all MY2024 RS 6s short of the GT are), and features Black Optic Package, Executive Package, and Audi Guard Protection Kit. It’s listed with an MSRP of $151,355. We have not contacted the dealer to verify if any dealer markup is involved.
For those in the know, Audi’s SQ8 is in many ways the most ‘base’ variant of the Lamborghini Urus, and at a fraction of the price. Painting with an incredibly broad brush here, the SQ8 has an incredibly similar four liter twin-turbo V8, the same platform architecture underpinning it, and minus the badging, an incredibly similar interior. Sure, it’s got a bit less boost and is understandably not quite as rapid, but what do you expect for a third of the cost?
This particular Audi SQ8 (VIN: WA1AWBF12PD025557) finished in Audi exclusive Merlin Purple (merlin purple; pearl effect; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi) is currently on offer by our friends at Audi Wilmington in Delaware with just 4,450 miles on the clock. This is particularly interesting because its CarFax claims two owners- the first in Selma, Texas, and the second in Florida before making its way to the First State. Sure this could be in error, but we mention it for the following reason- assuming this SQ8 was driven to each destination mentioned on the CarFax with zero detours, that would total 2,519 miles. That’s 56% of total miles covered since new, simply spent moving to new homes or service appointments. Wild.
Non-relevant statistics aside, this is a hell of a lot of car for the asking price of $87,270. We wouldn’t hesitate to bring it home and pile on miles for enjoyment rather than necessity.
See the full listing for this Tailored Driver, here.
Whenever Audi officially reveals a new model, Audi Deutschland’s typically adds more content on its consumer website. At the every least, the official model website is made live, and sometimes the option-specific configurator is as well.
Clicking over there, we found model-specific pages for the RS 3 Sportback and RS 3 Sedan. There’s no configurator tool just yet, but there are plenty of marketing photos including two depictions of the cars in Audi exclusive paint.
In the case of the RS 3 sedan, it’s Merlin Purple (merlin purple; pearl effect; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi). And in the case of the RS 3 Sportback it’s Arrow Grey.
We’ll keep an eye out for whenever the configuration tool goes live, but for now enjoy these pics.
SUMMARY: One of the most popular purple paint codes from Audi exclusive must certainly be Merlin Purple Pearl Effect (merlin purple; pearl effect; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi). Though it’s rarely ever been offered as a standard color, its presence amongst Audi exclusive cars in the market is relatively common thanks to the great level of appreciation it holds over fans of the four ring brand.
INSTAGRAM REFERENCE: Below is a gallery of several Audi cars painted in Merlin Purple and posted to Instagram by some of our favorite accounts.
