What: 2018 Audi RS 5 Coupe Color: Audi exclusive Riviera Blue (rivierablau; non-metallic Uni; LP3G; Audi) VIN:  WUAPWAF50JA905228 Mileage: 62,150 Price: $45,950 CarFax: Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Murfreesboro, TN Listing: Auto Collection of Murfreesboro
Riviera Blue has been covered here before, and for good reason- it’s a wildly popular bright blue that genuinely looks incredible when applied to all brands covered by Tailored Driver. Seen here on a 2018 Audi RS 5 with a tasteful yet subtle feature on it’s Brake Calipers as well, this Tailored Driver also features several unknown modifications. 034 Motorsport’s strut tower brace is seen under-hood, as is an MTM badge on the rear trunk lid. Our guess is the brand’s performance software, but both brand names – 034 and MTM – should pique the interest of any true Audi aficionado. We’d be remiss to not also mention the lower ride height, although it’s unclear who provided the drop.
What: 2019 Audi RS 5 Color: Audi exclusive Solar Orange (Solarorange; metallic uni; LY2G; Audi) VIN: WUAPWAF59KA905682 Mileage: 41,229 miles Price: $45,991 CarFax: Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Palmer Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Roswell, GA Dealer listing: Link
Why we love it:
How quickly we find our way back to Orange. Audi exclusive Solar Orange was chosen for this RS 5, with the added bonus of Audi exclusive deviated stitching in a matching Signal Orange found in the interior. In no doubt aided by the bold choice in color, this mega-sticker Tailored Driver is currently on offer at a Stellantis dealer for the seemingly low asking price of $45,991. If we had to guess, we’d say that’s likely half off its original asking price.
What: 2022 Audi RS 5 sportback Color: Audi exclusive Suzuka Grey Pearl Effect (suzukagrau; pearl effect; LY7F / M1 ; Audi) VIN: WUAAWCF5XNA901159 Mileage: 22,421 miles Price at Time of this Writing: $65,999 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Audi San Diego, CA Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
Within the Tailored Driver spectrum, it’s difficult to get more subtle than Audi’s Suzuka Grey. Pearl off-white in the right light and simply basic white in others, the color blends into the parking lot masses more than you’d expect. In fact, it’s so subtle that it’s nearly impossible to accurately capture in photos, making it somewhat of a hard sell when time comes to spend $3,500 on Tailored paint through Audi exclusive. Fortunately for the original Tailor of this RS 5 sportback, California has the right lighting conditions about two-thirds of the year, making the selection quite an astute one.
Given we recently highlighted the transformation of the Audi RS2’s iconic RS Blue(rsblau; pearl effect UNI; M8; Audi) to Nogaro Blue(nogaroblau; pearl effect UNI; Z5M; Audi) as Audi moved on from Porsche production of the RS2, we remembered a certain layout of the Audi stand at the Geneve Motor Show and wanted to revisit the visual comparison.
Back in 2014, new car motor shows were in their heyday, and Geneva may very well have been queen of them all. Sure, the Frankfurt IAA with its many show halls may have been bigger, but Geneva was where car manufacturers, carrozzeria and even the aftermarket focused on design and performance for the super rich. Audi Sport (then quattro GmbH) always brought their latest sporting models and often built in Audi exclusive one-off specification. For 2014, timed with the launch of the RS 4 Nogaro selection edition, the brand from Ingolstadt brought several blue examples including a vintage Audi RS2 on loan from Audi Tradition.
As we now know, that vintage RS2 Avant was painted RS Blue, while the Audi exclusive RS 4 Avant and RS 5 Coupe seen in these photos is painted Nogaro Blue. Since Audi didn’t reformulate the colors, they are visually identical. That’s not the easiest to see under the super intense show lights of the Geneva Motor Show and while parked on polished white floors of the Audi stand, but it’s still the case.
Interestingly, though the RS 4 Nogaro selection edition press release dropped at Geneva, the car on the stand doesn’t match the specification of the limited series production car. Though that car long predates this site, we’ve gone ahead and retro published the original press release on the Nogaro selection edition along with detailed official shots found in Audi France’s archives. Those period PR photos clearly show the special edition had two-tone black and blue Alcantara seats, plus details like nomenclature on the shift knob and badging at the rear. They also had silver optic wheels, while the car on the Audi stand that year has gloss black and machined finish on the same wheel design.
Neither Audi of America nor Audi Canada never sold the RS 4 in North America, much less the RS 4 Nogaro selection edition. However, Audi of America product managers did dip into some of the components (namely the blue Alcantara seats) to create a special Nogaro edition S4 that is highly prized by owners who still have them.
What: 2014 Audi RS 5 Color: Audi exclusive Nimbus Grey (nimbusgrau; pearlescent UNI; Z7X; Audi) VIN: WUAC6AFR3EA901309 Mileage: 70,957 miles Price at Time of this Writing: $32,709 CarFax: Link Window Sticker: Pictured below Location: Nissan Thousand Oaks, CA Dealer listing: Link
Why we love it:
The B8.5 generation of RS 5 was a pretty rowdy car, with it’s incredibly high-revving V8 and subtle box flares, wrapped in a package that is aging incredibly well. Not many left the factory with Audi exclusive paint, so this particular example finished in Nimbus Grey is not only cool, it’s also quite rare. Your guess is as good as ours as to why it’s at a Nissan dealer, but we feel this may be a great case of a Dealer not really knowing what they’ve got. If you’re interested, act fast.
Why we love it: Audi’s B9 generation RS 5 is pretty tough to beat- good power, great size, and featuring a modernized interpretation of box flares. This Tailored Driver is finished in Audi exclusive Nogaro Blue (LZ5M) over Black leather with Rock Grey stitching, alu-optic exterior trim, and was optioned with the dynamic package which raises the speed limiter and adds Carbon Ceramic brakes. For a quite reasonable $52,999, this West Coast two-owner example would be an impactful addition to your Tailored fleet.
Today we’re excited to bring you the first of what we hope to be many for Tailored Driver– fan submitted content. Kaleb, the owner of this Audi exclusive Sprint Blue (sprintblau; pearl UNI; LZ5F / 5N; Audi) RS 5 Cabriolet, reached out shortly before his Cars and Bids listing went live, and we were happy to hear from him. Not only a fantastic, incredibly high sticker ($94k!) Tailored Driver, but also a truly great enthusiast’s car to boot.
The B8.5 Audi RS 5 Cabriolet is already a rare car. If production numbers we’ve found over on Audiworld.com are accurate, only 769 U.S. market Cabriolets were produced (versus 2747 Coupes) between MY2013 and MY2015. And while this does sound consistent with what we’ve heard in the past, it’s the note of Audi exclusive painted examples that make us think their count may be missing at least some color data as they list no “individual” colors in MY2013 or M&2014 (like this car), though do list 25 “Exclusive” colors in MY2015. No doubt Audi might provide more specific details on the Audi exclusive mix, or if this car is one of multiple or one of one as it sits in its Sprint Blue on black leather color way.
What is Sprint Blue? The color appears to have debuted on the B7-generation Audi S4. Having produced Nogaro Blue from the earliest RS2 production (as RS Blue) and through B5 and B6, it seems the brand was looking for a new bold blue paint code to freshen up that end of the palette spectrum. Sprint Blue Pearl was that blue, though favors more to the green/cyan side of the blue spectrum as compared to the more purple/magenta oriented Nogaro Blue.
In period, Sprint Blue was a popular factory color choice and is seen regularly on the B7 S4, B7 RS 4 and early B8 S and RS models. By the time the B8 received its “B8.5” facelift like this car though, Sprint had been replaced with Audi’s Sepang Blue that is a bit lighter and with less green. So, when cars like this RS 5 were produced, Sprint Blue had already gone. Likely the person who chose this specification fell in love with the color and kept it going with this special order. And it’s hard to argue. The car looks fantastic.
Get all the details and follow along on Cars and Bids as the auction for this Tailored Driver (VIN: WUAC6AFH5EN900954) will close in just two days.
Let’s start by getting this out of the way- it’s October, Halloween is just days away, and the combination of Audi exclusive Solar Orange (Y2G) and Black Optic package bears some resemblance to a pumpkin. But this isn’t just any squash, and it certainly wouldn’t fall victim to any Halloween eve antics.
Currently found for sale in the Facebook Marketplace classifieds, this Audi exclusive Solar Orange RS 5 Coupe (VIN: unknown) was purchased by its owner just a few short months ago at Porsche Austin before life sent them in a different direction. One of just 22 Audi RS 5s that hit our shores in 2014 wearing Audi exclusive paint, this example has covered just under 59,000 miles and seems to be in quite good shape.
While Audi exclusive Solar Orange paint may be the headline, the high-rev 4.2 liter V8 under hood is nothing to scoff at either. At an asking price of $36,000, this Tailored Driver is an incredibly interesting proposition, and one we’d be more than happy to call our own.
See the full listing with additional information, here.
While we’d love to think that everyone is as fascinated by the world of Tailored Driver as we are, we’re also realistic. Unfortunately to some a vehicle is just inventory, the color is secondary, and in the post-COVID marketplace, effort required to move that inventory isn’t as high as was once required. Case in point is this Audi exclusive Panther Black Crystal Effect (Z9Z) RS 5 Sportback (VIN: WUAAWCF5XNA900593) at Porsche South Orlando. Hear me out.
First we’ll start with the good. Audi exclusive Panther Black Metallic is a fairly dynamic color, and we feel the selling dealer did a pretty good job of capturing the brown and purple metallic flake found within the paint that tends to pop in the Florida sun. Second, while there are few images, they’re fairly clear, certainly in focus, and set an expectation that leaves us wanting more.
But sadly this Tailored Driver has not been detailed or prepared (a license plate is visible), the images are fairly low resolution, and the color, while called out as an exclusive hue, is spelled completely wrong. Now none of these are mortal sins, but for something that is marketed at $67,499 at time of writing and likely a one-of-few ever made at a highline dealer with a photo booth, we’d love to see a bit more effort put into the listing.
Regardless, this Audi exclusive Panther Black RS 5 Sportback represents a great point of entry into the world of Tailored Driver, that we’d happily park in our driveway. Learn more about this Tailored Driver, here.
