Really getting tired of the AoA fashion police
 

After seeing a few yellow TTs at TT West, I thought I'd investigate getting a Mk 3 in Vegas Yellow since I'm in Vegas. The next step in the on-line build is to select a seat color and I can not select brown seats, only black or gray? If ever there was a classic color combination for a car it is yellow paint and tan seats. Both are earth tones. So then I check on getting my present color, scuba blue. Again, as last year, you can not get blue seats if you select blue paint. I customized my Mk 2 and put blue leather where the alcantara was and it looks great and I have received many favorable comments. You can only get blue seats on 5 of the seven monochromatic paint colors which also makes no sense. Why not all 7? Then I looked into getting an exclusive paint color for a mere $3900. My understanding for the 2016 MY was that you could order virtually any paint color under the rainbow. This year it appears that it just gives you a few more colors to choose from, including a hideous Porsche green (aka Kermit green). If I'm spending $50K for a car, I'd like to select color combinations I like. AoA is so far behind BMW in available paint and seat colors it is ridiculous.

I really wanted [Palomino] brown seats in my Sepang Blue.

I get that they want to avoid glaring mis-combinations that might somehow detract from their button down corporate image, but I can't see how classic saddle brown would be such a "fashion violation" for Audi.

I think it has more to do with the bean counters than the fashion police. Audi USA is still ultra conservative with the models and color combinations that it decides to import. The combo you want is probably readily available in Europe.

It just makes no sense
 

Personally, I think that if Audi sells it, I should be able to order it if I'm willing to make a hefty deposit. It costs Audi nothing if a seat color is already offered in the US market inventory. The blue seats offered for only 5 of the 7 monochromatic colors makes no sense whatsoever. Why is it OK for 5 shades of black to white but not the other 2? I used to have a Maserati that was yellow/tan and I've seen a lot of MB SLs in that configuration over the years.

If Audi want to increase market share, they need to appeal to a broader base. For example, the BMW 230 convertible offers 13 paint colors instead of 10 for the TT. Again 7 are monochromatic but there is also a brown, 3 blues and 2 reds. They offer 5 seat colors with fewer combination restrictions than the TT.

If Audi is conservative, how does one explain the hideous Porsche green, and statement colors like Papaya and Powder Blue (that color confirmed that the TT is a "hairdresser's car")offered on the TT in past years? How long has Audi offered the same tired red and blue for the TT? They seem to go out of their way inventing new shades of black, white, and gray. If AoA wants to sell more cars they need to offer colors that are attractive to people that are not color blind.

Sorry to rant, but it seems like every time I get interested in the Mk 3, AoA does something to turn me off, beginning with not selling the TTS roadster in the US.

Most annoying to me is the inability to get any interesting colors when it comes to German cars in general. No greens, burnt orange, burgundy reds, etc.. Nope. Two whites, two blacks, silver, two grays. Red, Yellow. thats it. What about Sepang you say? No longer available at least on the web site! Presumably Ara is taking its place, but its not listed as an option as yet. Glad I ordered mine when I did, last of the breed.

I'm not saying I like it that Audi is conservative, and I'm definitely not saying it makes sense. I wish I could get a RS6 Avant. That's just how Audi has chosen to do business here. Perhaps write to Audi and Audi USA. That's how the mkii TT RS ended up being imported, and your request is much easier. You just want certain color seats.

There appears to be some confusion here.

You can still paint the car any color you want through exclusive. That hasn't changed.

There are no palomino brown seats for TTS worldwide. That is only for TT.

Yes, you can't get yellow with red interior because this is ketchup and mustard, or McDonald's. And just remember few other manufacturers even offer yellow paint. Now you can even get yellow on the S3.

And is anyone going to want to drive a TTS with tango red exterior over express red interior? That is an obnoxious about of bright red.

The fact is there are a lot of colors for the TT, and blue with red interior is even allowed. So to me it seems like they are providing quite a lot of color options and combinations.

Yes, I knew that going in but still would have preferred the brown seats being available for the TTS. And in the spirit of this thread really don't see why they were not.

Nor has the value proposition, which sucks. At a ~7x cost premium over metallic or 9% added to the TT's list price. VC with MMI, NAV, side Assist, etc $2900 additional; getting something other than a shade of monochrome, $3900. Tick that one box on a TT and you're half way to an S. Oh, yeah, and for the privilege of paying your extra tithe, you get to wait an additional 3 months for the car.
As for red seats in yellow car, below is just one look at me Ferrari that has been done that way. McDonalds-like indeed, if what your referring to is that a MickeyD franchise is priced in roughly the same neighborhood. The TT/TTS/RS certainly can be a third car toy for some, maybe even most, buyers. Why shouldn't show off types be able to spec something flashy that wows their jealous CUV driving neighbors? And if red on yellow is so shameful, how come you can still spec the brakes? I'd never go for it, but if others want to, why prevent it?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...c5b69a6f71.jpg

I'd say it is likely because when you put down a refundable deposit, then see the car in real life three months later and determine it looks horrible, then it becomes the dealer's problem and they have an unsellable car in their inventory.

And if you really want a custom interior, Audi exclusive can do that for you, too.