Market Find: Totally Not Merlin Purple Audi exclusive RS Q8

What: 2021 Audi RS Q8
Color: Audi exclusive Dark Red Mica (dunkelrotmica; mica effect; LC3N / X6; Audi)
VIN: WU1ARBF13MD023621
Mileage: 35,452 miles
Price: $87,995
CarFax: Link
Window Sticker: N/A
Location: Perfect Auto Collection, Akron, Ohio
Dealer listing: Link

When we find mislabeled cars, we tend to approach them with mixed feelings. On one hand, we wish there were an easier way to verify colors for dealerships not completely in the know to the ins and the outs of special order paint cars. On the other, it’s a challenge to spot them and can be a total find when you realize you know something others do not.

Take for example this 2021 Audi RS Q8. The dealer lists the color as “Audi Exclusive Merlin”, i.e. Audi exclusive Merlin Purple… interesting, but to our eye the photos looked red and not purple. We figured we’d check in with our sources who can identify.

As with some Audi exclusive cars, this one turned up as XXX or unknown color. That could still be Merlin as some cars show up that way, so we hit up a friend inside Audi in order to check internally. While we waited, we also stalked the VIN number of the car. Doing the latter got us the final answer – Dark Red Mica.

The color is fantastic and also rare, so this specific car shows up in a number of posts – from previous listings on other sites to a video on Instagram showing the depth of the color. And, it’s a fantastic color.

It’s also paired tastefully with black leather and rock grey stitching, not to mention loaded with options including carbon fiber optics. It is an excellent specimen to be sure.