Market Find: Audi exclusive Sprint Blue RS 5 Cabriolet

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.