Contrasting stitching available?

[willyjp]

I asked this in the recent thread below about "should I order enhnaced leather, etc.", but I think I asked it too late to get the attention of someone who knows....or maybe no one is sure. But I'm going to re-ask this question:

Is the "contrasting stitching" still a feature you can get off the std option list?
I don't see anything about it on the 2010 order guide. I know it's in the "Exclusive" book, but several of you were talking about it seemingly as part of the "enhanced leather package." (in the question asked about white contrasting stitching and how it would look with the c.f. interior parts.)

That confused me because I spec'd enhanced leather, but nowhere on the order guide when I wrote my order, or on the latest 2010 revision do I see anything about stitching. Can someone clear me up on this? I ordered the Limestone gray (w. Jet Blue), and I'd consider blue stitching, but I felt like going into "Exclusive" territory just for stitching wasn't worth it.

[russman]

As I understand it, contrast stitching is an AE option. All the Standard leather options from enhanced on up cover the various surfaces of the interior and doesn't address the stitching. Im assuming this is a V8... no idea about the V10

[SANDMAN]

I got everything in side the car in leather on mine with contrasting stitching and I think it looks great.
I had a hard time getting what I wanted so when I ordered my cay I did it with a rep from Audi and not the dealer.

I was told I was the 1st R8 in Australia with this package and it was a bit hard to work out the codes so Audi OZ did a lot of work with the factory and at the end the car was just how I wanted it.

[willyjp]

I'll jump back in here and sort of answer my own question:

When I saw Cobra's post about whether to add "contrasting stitiching" to his "enhanced fine nappa leather package", I thought maybe I'd missed something in the ordering process. But in re-reading his post, obviously he's in the UK and they have a whole different option structure presented to them, vis-a-vis the US. In short, their cars have less equipment at base price, but they have far more choices in optioning (eg: the mag. shocks), in this case including contrasting stitching.

I think the answer is, in the US the "enhanced" leather option does NOT offer the addl. option of contrasting stitching. One can get that via the Exclusive route, but the minimum extra cost is over $11k and can run far more if you really do it right (ala Russman), as I read the brochure (which I only have courtesy of someone sharing on this forum...certainly not from my dealer!). Since I'm quite content with the available color choice, it seems rather an extreme simply for a different thread color on the stitching.

One stubtext here is that I don't think the full array of ordering possibilities
is really very well explained to us here in the hinterlands. I know they've got an Audi boutique in Manhattan where you can immerse yourself in all the possiblities, but at my dealership (only one within nearly 200 mi.) they get rather vague when you ask about the Exclusive options. Paying a lot to get EXACTLY what you want can be a great thing, but paying a lot to get something that is only vaguely described, albeit touted as "better", is a non-starter for me.

[SteveR]

I don't remember seeing this option on the latest 2010 order sheet. However, if you spec a car on AudiUSA there is an option for "colored stitching for Fine Nappa full leather equipment". While that is not set up for 2010 options yet, I recall seeing an option for colored stitching in the 2010 R8 booklet. They had standard color combinations, like black or brown stitching for the black leather areas if you order the brown seats. I got the impression these contrasting stitching options would be standard options, separate from the area where they described the option for (AE) custom color combinations.

Admittedly weak information, but I still have hope that I can order contrasting stitching as a standard option when my time comes.

[willyjp]

SteveR: you know, you are correct, the "build your (2009) R8" on the audius web site DOES INDEED list "colored stitching for fine Nappa full leather equipment".

I have looked at that site and not "seen" that, but not for quite awhile, having dealt with the 2009 order quide given to me by my dealer and lately with the 2010 order quide that I've gotten off this site.

It is interesting that the "radio button" for that option on the audi web site doesn't work, so it doesn't "click" and the option is not added to your list, though the price is listed as $0, so maybe that's why. There are other items of "unobtanium" on the site also, like Mugello Blue, which has been stricken from the list.

Since orders are written on the order guide, I don't know how one could actually order the "colored stitching". All in all, a lot is unexplained and left to chance in this ordering process for the R8.