Retrospective: Audi exclusive Flex at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show

The story run this morning of the Ipanema Brown Audi R8 V10 Coupé with 2010 North American Auto Show display provenance got us looking back in our archives for our own images of the car in order to verify the claim. As expected, we found the car, but what we also found was a reminder of just how great car manufacturers used to be at auto shows.

Round about the pandemic (and with EV development costs looming), car manufacturers stepped back hard from new car auto shows like Detroit. Some shows like Frankfurt and Geneva imploded and went away, while others like the NAIAS continue to happen on much less lavish budgets often funded by dealers.

Not so in 2010. Back then, the NAIAS was considered Tier 1 by Audi. For that reason, Audi AG took care of the details. Higher home market budgets meant more lavish digs, a concept car world premiere and more minor details like display car specification. And while Audi of America was also known for ordering its own special builds for other shows like New York and Chicago, Audi AG had more flexing power with its display cars… and it showed.

The Ipanema Brown Audi R8 Coupe wasn’t the only Ipanema car on display that year. One of three, it was joined by a matching Audi R8 Spyder and S5 Cabriolet. Ipanema Brown was a favorite of Audi board members and designers, and a popular choice for top tier auto show stands. Here, it was used to call attention to some of Audi’s most passion-driven models in order to wow attendees.

Other than the concept e-tron Detroit coupe in light blue, the rest of the booth was painted in neutral silver or white tones. Even there though, Audi wasn’t playin with mere vanilla. At least at the higher end of the model spectrum, Audi exclusive interiors were lavish. The A8s all had Audi exclusive cockpits, as did the Q7 TDI on display.

Unless they were preproduction or pre-U.S. launch, these cars were built to U.S. specification. They may have seen more duty at other auto shows or perhaps in the Audi Forum lobby at Audi of America headquarters in Herndon, VA. After that, they could have become company cars for employees but would eventually be sold into the dealer system – a HotWheels treasure hunt in real life.

There’s a lot to miss about that halcyon era of new car auto shows, but one most glaring to us is these show display specials. Lavish auto show budgets and internal stylists speccing cars just-so took Audi exclusive tailoring to a very high level and we were there for it… literally.

We took photos. Even better, we’ve dug through our archives and created a gallery in order to take you back there with us. Enjoy.