Color Check: Audi exclusive Piemont Red A5 Cabriolet at Audi Forum in 2012

Check out the specification sheet of the Audi A5 Cabriolet you see here and you’ll note it is incredibly expensive. That is so because it’s loaded with Audi exclusive paint and a highly tailored interior, which of course makes sense when you consider it was built to showcase customization and presented in the Audi exclusive studio at the brand forum in Neckarsulm.

The color is Piemont Red (piemontrot; Pearl Effect; Z3H; Audi exclusive), and initially turned up on the 2012 A3 sedan concept earlier that year. And while we’re not sure if the code may have been slightly reformulated from concept to full-on production, it remains an incredible deep and dark red.

On the stand of the A3 sedan, then member of the Audi design team Stefan Sielaff shared with us that the paint color had been named for the region of Northern Italy where so many Audi staff enjoy vacations. That region is known for its red wine production, and Piemont Red harks that wine and those grapes.

Shortly after debuting the A3 Sedan concept, this A5 turned up at the Audi Forum Neckarsulm where we were visiting that year and nabbed a few photos. Its Cognac Brown interior is an excellent pairing with Piemont Red, and Cognac remains a popular standard option in cars like the Audi RS 6, RS 7 and RS Q8 today.

Convertible Audi models are frequently popular at the Audi exclusive studio because, parked as they are with top down, the unique specifications of their interiors are on full display. These photographs are from 2012 and the A5 (B8) had just been updated, which made for an even better opportunity to exhibit all the latest the brand had to offer.

While not as common as other Audi exclusive colors like Nogaro Blue or Goodwood Green, Piemont Red is appreciated enough that it is seen with some regularity on Audi exclusive builds, and certainly not one of the most obscure colors on the Audi exclusive palette. It’s also got a great history and back story.