Yahoo Autos Audi expands its matte color palette with Python Yellow and Dew Silver
Audi is making it easier for its customers to personalize a new car without turning to aftermarket solutions. It expanded its color palette with two matte shades called Python Yellow and Dew Silver, respectively. Both are available on several variants of the TT and the Q3.
The move reflects a growing trend in the car and motorcycle worlds: enthusiasts are increasingly willing to pay to stand out. And, while making a yellow and a silver available might sound reasonably simple, the process of deciding which colors to offer is stunningly long. The members of Audi's design department start by tracking various trends in key markets around the world. They then complete a feasibility study, create the color, and name it. Each color is tailored to a specific audience, hence why Python Yellow isn't available on the A8.
"The entire process of design, selection, technical implementation, and approval of the colors can take anywhere between three to five years," Audi noted. Engineers need to ensure it stands the test of time (and the abuse of owners) from Moscow, Russia, to Moscow, Idaho.
Audi's images show the new colors on the TT RS and on the RS Q3 Sportback (which isn't sold in America), but the company stresses that even the standard TT, TTS, and Q3 can be ordered with matte paint. However, note that Python Yellow is TT-only, while Dew Silver is Q3-specific. Pricing information hasn't been announced, and we don't know if these colors will be available in our market yet; we've reached out to the company and we'll update this story if we learn more. If they are, they'll undoubtedly be found on the list of extra-cost options.
Giving a car a matte finish is relatively complicated: it involves spraying primer, filler, and color layers followed by an ultra-thin layer of matte clearcoat. Several quality-related checks are performed before Audi sends the car to its new home. It's a lengthy process, but giving a car a paint job that pops has never been easy. In the 1930s, car companies often mixed ground fish scales with paint to achieve a metallic finish.
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