# Brand new TT RS: Paint issue?



## RuuTT (Apr 22, 2010)

After a long long wait finally my new TT RS arrived at the dealer. Ordered in Audi Exclusive color Misano Red, same color as my previous TT RS. I made some pictures of it arriving and I am now a bit shocked looking at the rear bumper. This is not normal, right?


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## Snake TT (Jul 13, 2007)

I wouldn't be happy with that. Very noticeable difference in colour.


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## digital_dreamer (Aug 28, 2011)

could just be lighting


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## iainfrmeastkilbride (Feb 19, 2016)

Whats the Dealer saying? Are they saying paint can look different on different surfaces? ie Metal,Plastic?
If that was the case how come they can get it right on other colours?
Obviously your last one was fine?
Sorry but I would reject it


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## RuuTT (Apr 22, 2010)

Will visit the dealer tomorrow, not sure what they will say, posted this here to get a feeling for if this is supposed to be like this.

For comparison, this is my old car on roughly the same angle;


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

There's always some colour difference between panel and bumper but that does look particularly bad. Almost as if it's the wrong shade or a different colour entirely.

Hopefully just a trick of the light....but, inspect it carefully, it's not unusual for transport companies to have cars repaired to avoid damage claims before they arrive at the dealer.


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## powerplay (Feb 8, 2008)

Agreed that does stand out more than usual.

There's usually a very slight difference in shade between the body panel and rear bumper depending on lighting, but that is easily the most extreme I've ever seen.

I'd also reject that, if it's indeed a true representation of how it looks in person.


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## Snake TT (Jul 13, 2007)

The back bumper looks a darker shade of red. However the front bumper matches perfectly. Are they made of different materials perhaps?


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## BW57 (Jun 26, 2017)

powerplay said:


> I'd also reject that, if it's indeed a true representation of how it looks in person.


Me too.
Just out of interest, does the rear right have the same colour mismatch (ie does it affect the whole of the bumper panel or just the lhs)?


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

Its pretty normal, lighting changes the colour and its due to the different materials/process used.

http://www.penneyautobody.com/en/blog/285-faq---why-the-colour-mismatch-between-bumpers-and-adjacent-metal-panels


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## tt3600 (Apr 8, 2006)

Don't look right to me.


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## powerplay (Feb 8, 2008)

Agreed it's normal to have a slight colour variance due to the different materials. I noted that on both my current and previous white TTs. Sometimes you can't notice it and other times there is a clear difference in shade.

Saying that, on my current glacier white TT once you notice it you automatically see it every time, but it's probably still only 25% of the difference in this photo.

I had my previous glacier white TT repaired once and it required the nearside rear wheel arch panel to be replaced, the body shop worked hard to ensure the best paint match between the two panels, it's not easy and this looks to my untrained eye like a bad paint job - perhaps something wrong with the preparation or primer?


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

Given that bumpers are often painted at another factory or at the suppliers facility it could be something as simple as the wrong paint mix, no-one would know until the car was built but quality control shouldn't have let it go out. The colour difference on the front end is what you'd normally expect and is fine.

I'm cynical but let's see if the paint is as bad the other side/all over and whether it's been repaired or not.


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## 90TJM (Sep 30, 2013)

I had a Misano Mk2 and as its a Pearl Paint it does vary in different light.When you see the car in the flesh and not a photo
it may be OK.


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

Shameful for the price.

Wheels need replacing too


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## RuuTT (Apr 22, 2010)

With regards to the wheels; true 

Visited the dealer today, they cleaned the car and put it in the delivery room for me to inspect it. For now they opened a warranty case with Audi, fingers crossed..


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

Hello RuuTT,
I'm no expert in TT RS, but there may be truth to both the statements. It could be the light at which you took the pic and it could as well be the factory mistake.

From the picture I can see its a heavy overcast weather. Sun is definitely there but its surrounded by heavy/dense clouds. When ever I take a picture in these situations the colours and lighting are screwed up. Because the sensors in the camera are unable to properly deal with very chaotic light source from a very acute angles of the object that you try to photograph.

HOWEVER,
The best way to put your mind at ease and make sure that there is no actual mistake you should: 
1. check the colour differences in a place that has a more constant light source (during a very sunny day or in a well light garage).
and
2. Check the colour differences in a more dark environment.

Both extreme scenarios will flush out the potential colour differences and reveal whether there is any mistake or not.

Hope this helps


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## moro anis (May 27, 2010)

AN old way to check paint was to park under a street light at night, the old amber coloured ones. That would certainly show any colour differences/respray.


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## carrock (Mar 17, 2011)

Wouldn't accept that. Could it be the case it was damaged at the dock and painted locally? That is rumoured to happen occasionally unless its an urban myth


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

Again could also be the lighting conditions at which you viewed and photographed the car. Taking pictures at cloudy enviroments tends to do that.

Still no one knows better than actual Audi service experts. I hope that its just illusion. Because I have no idea how they manage these issues. New car? Strip the old pain and repaint? Audi dies from embarrassment and free upgrades you to R8? :lol: 
Im actually curious what the procedure might be.


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## ChadW (May 2, 2003)

carrock said:


> Wouldn't accept that. Could it be the case it was damaged at the dock and painted locally? That is rumoured to happen occasionally unless its an urban myth


I go with this imho, the pic has the same shade of light all the way across yet the front bumper and body match perfectly. The rear does not at all. Looks like a cheap panel only respray and if I was paying £60k for a car I would reject and demand they do another.

There is a body shop literally about 150 yards from where i live and they always have pre delivered cars in to sort out for certain main dealers.


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## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

I'd say not to worry, I'm pretty sure it's just the lighting.

Here's my old Misano RS4 in Jan 2015 the day it arrived at the dealer, fresh off the transporter...










As you can see, the rear bumper looks a different shade, but I can assure you it wasn't. The different angle of the bumper in comparison to the rear wing meant it sometimes looked darker when pictured under certain lighting conditions as the sun couldn't hit the pearl paint meaning the camera created an exaggerated difference.


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## RuuTT (Apr 22, 2010)

Well I did see the car again myself to check and unfortunately the issue is, if possible, maybe even a bit more visible than in the pictures. Very strange as the front is just fine. Dealer assures me the car had no damage during transport. They now opened a claim with Audi, fingers crossed


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## BauhauTTS (Jan 8, 2017)

If a respray is offered under 'warranty', I would personally decline and ask for a new car. The factory paint process with oven cure results in a comparatively hard paint finish to what would normally be accomplished in a body shop after the fact.


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## Ruudfood (Apr 9, 2018)

I must admit that I couldn't see what all the fuss was about at first but looking at where the rear bumper joins the wheel arch, if that isn't a completely different shade of red then I'm not a TTS lover!


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## tt3600 (Apr 8, 2006)

Looks fine in person though...


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

RuuTT said:


> Well I did see the car again myself to check and unfortunately the issue is, if possible, maybe even a bit more visible than in the pictures. Very strange as the front is just fine. Dealer assures me the car had no damage during transport. They now opened a claim with Audi, fingers crossed


Thing is, assuming they're telling the truth they wouldn't know if the transport company had damaged it and had it painted. It goes on all of the time. It's cheaper for the firms to do this than have a damage claim against them.

That's before you get to dealers covering up damage and having things fixed before you see the car....

I've had a lot of work done at a dealer bodyshop (not Audi and modifications rather than damage) over the years and got to know them well. The stories I've been told about what goes on with new cars is an eye opener!! There was a car on site once and they showed me the finish from the factory, it was awful, the manufacturer authorised a full respray before the customer even knew the car had been delivered.


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

tt3600 said:


> Looks fine in person though...


There's nothing wrong with that picture though, that's an expected colour difference. It looking better in the flesh is a bonus though :mrgreen:


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

carrock said:


> Wouldn't accept that. Could it be the case it was damaged at the dock and painted locally? That is rumoured to happen occasionally unless its an urban myth


That would explain why the rear is done in Tango red - they probably didn't know it was MIsano as that's special order for the TT.


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

ZephyR2 said:


> carrock said:
> 
> 
> > Wouldn't accept that. Could it be the case it was damaged at the dock and painted locally? That is rumoured to happen occasionally unless its an urban myth
> ...


I thought about that as well today. Thats why I went to both German and UK Audi website. The only non Exclusive red paint for TTRS they have is called "Catalunya red". The "Tango Red" is for standard TT and TTS. Or is it just a different name for the same colour?


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## RuuTT (Apr 22, 2010)

captainhero17 said:


> I thought about that as well today. Thats why I went to both German and UK Audi website. The only non Exclusive red paint for TTRS they have is called "Catalunya red". The "Tango Red" is for standard TT and TTS. Or is it just a different name for the same colour?


Correct, I ordered Misano Red as exclusive color, so even more surprising they didn't check the specially paid for car color a little better. Normally it is only available in Catalunya Red, Tango Red is another color still. There are quite a few Red colors that Audi (used to) offer like Briljant Red or Dynamite Red


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## jhoneyman (Aug 8, 2012)

The previous posts have hit the nail on the head I think.
That rear bumper is Tango red.... Catalunya is more 'orange'.


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

jhoneyman said:


> The previous posts have hit the nail on the head I think.
> That rear bumper is Tango red.... Catalunya is more 'orange'.


So not only have they f$^%* up the paint mix but they also did it with a colour that was not meant to go on TTRS in the first place.
Wow! Just thinking that Audi has the nerve to do such a thing on a +60k car gives me shivers down my spine. The person doing the quality check should be forced to paint next 10 cars completely with a q-tip. Shame on you AUDI!! :evil:

P.s- I hope OP that this hasn't completely ruined your experience. :?


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

captainhero17 said:


> jhoneyman said:
> 
> 
> > The previous posts have hit the nail on the head I think.
> ...





jhoneyman said:


> The previous posts have hit the nail on the head I think.
> That rear bumper is Tango red.... Catalunya is more 'orange'.


How do we know this for sure from a photo.

It's most probably differing materials and before somone had ago because of excessive joviality on my behalf,red as a colour is notorious for oxidizing in ultra violet light.
Within six months there will probably be no discerning difference.


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

leopard said:


> How do we know this for sure from a photo.
> 
> It's most probably differing materials and before some Arsewipe had ago because of excessive joviality on my behalf,red as a colour is notorious for oxidizing in ultra violet light.
> Within six months there will probably be no discerning difference.


Single stage paints of old used to oxidise and go pink. It's not an issue with modern clear coated reds though.


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## Blade Runner (Feb 16, 2018)

captainhero17 said:


> jhoneyman said:
> 
> 
> > The previous posts have hit the nail on the head I think.
> ...


Think this is jumping to conclusions a bit. If the pic can be believed (does look bad, i agree) then it shouldnt have left the factory like that, but it may have been changed in transit (after damage occured perhaps?). Audi are responsible for the whole process , including transport to the dealer, so should get sorted under waranty, so be interesting to hear what they offer. The OP has his rights under the sale of goods act (or whatever has recently replaced it).


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

Agreed about the older colour

However

Red paint can often degrade faster because it absorbs higher energy (shorter wavelength) light. The more energy that is available, the more likely it is that reactions will occur. This is more pronounced with a UV wavelength.
It's still red so it will still fade eventually,even with a clearcoat added.

Incidentally blue is the best anti-fade colour...


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

leopard said:


> Agreed about the older colour
> 
> However
> 
> ...


Agreed but for good sound paint it must take a considerable time period to become evident, or evident to the degree that it's problematic?

Happy I've ordered blue in that case


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

leopard said:


> Agreed about the older colour
> 
> However
> 
> ...


I can vouch for that. My fathers BMW 4 2014 was red. And after considerable time on the sun and against elements, car washes, the colour did turn a bit orange in some places (or at least a different shade of red). Its barely visible for most normal people. But then again Im not a normal person :lol:


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

Blade Runner said:


> captainhero17 said:
> 
> 
> > jhoneyman said:
> ...


I agree, there are 1000 different possible situations that could have occurred. But if it was due to transportation damage (and again very possible). Shouldn't Audi have informed OP that the damage has occurred? (rather than being silent and trying to sweep it under a rug).


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## RuuTT (Apr 22, 2010)

Blade Runner said:


> Think this is jumping to conclusions a bit. If the pic can be believed (does look bad, i agree) then it shouldnt have left the factory like that, but it may have been changed in transit (after damage occured perhaps?). Audi are responsible for the whole process , including transport to the dealer, so should get sorted under waranty, so be interesting to hear what they offer. The OP has his rights under the sale of goods act (or whatever has recently replaced it).


Like I mentioned before; the color difference might even be a litte bit worse in real life than the picture shows. With regards to color changes of red paint; my previous TT RS was the exact same color, Misano Red, and has had no issues in the almost 8 years I had that car.

Dealer promises to get back to me today on what would be a fair solution for this issue.


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

If your assertion is correct leopard then presumably the original paint will also have faded in 6 months and the difference between the two will still noticeable.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TFP (May 29, 2010)

RuuTT said:


> Blade Runner said:
> 
> 
> > Think this is jumping to conclusions a bit. If the pic can be believed (does look bad, i agree) then it shouldnt have left the factory like that, but it may have been changed in transit (after damage occured perhaps?). Audi are responsible for the whole process , including transport to the dealer, so should get sorted under waranty, so be interesting to hear what they offer. The OP has his rights under the sale of goods act (or whatever has recently replaced it).
> ...


I'd be very wary about accepting them just raising a warranty issue with Audi.

I'm sure many people on here will share the experience that nothing will get done.

If you really think you can't live with the colour difference then don't accept delivery of the car.

And if they agree to repaint it, why should you accept a new car that's had paint?


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

ZephyR2 said:


> If your assertion is correct leopard then presumably the original paint will also have faded in 6 months and the difference between the two will still noticeable.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The assertion is correct, unfortunately your logic isn't  but a nice try none the less.

The bumper being the darker colour on this fine Audi example like I hinted at before should tone down therefore being less noticeable compared to the main body colour.
I did make humour of it earlier on but some bell end took umbridge with this and part of the thread was censored as a result :roll:

Bit of night time reading for 'ya

http://islanddetailandcolor.com/why-do- ... ctoria-bc/


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

While the process of paint fade on plastic isn't in dispute your projected timescale of 6 months for it to blend in would be well off the mark. I've had my Tango red for close on 2 years and there is no difference in the red on the bumpers and the red on the metal.


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

You can't proove it either way just because your colour is the same. On the balance of probabilities it will tone down.
OP has the more upmarket* exclusive* "Misano" red compared to the more mundane "Tango" I believe,so you can't compare apples with oranges...just sayin' :lol:


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

There's nothing mundane about Tango red


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## jhoneyman (Aug 8, 2012)

so what is the update on this then?


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## RuuTT (Apr 22, 2010)

Well the dealer is now respraying the car and offering a discount. Respray is the only option as I traded in my old RS which is now already sold and a new car cannot be ordered this year as the order books are now closed and only stock models are available (obviously none of them in this color)

As I am now on holiday I will see the result of that in the flesh in a little less than two weeks. As luck would have it I just visited the TT factory on my holiday and adressed the issue here aswell. They found it totally unacceptable and they will dive into it to find out what happened from their side aswell.


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## jhoneyman (Aug 8, 2012)

RuuTT said:


> Well the dealer is now respraying the car and offering a discount. Respray is the only option as I traded in my old RS which is now already sold and a new car cannot be ordered this year as the order books are now closed and only stock models are available (obviously none of them in this color)
> 
> As I am now on holiday I will see the result of that in the flesh in a little less than two weeks. As luck would have it I just visited the TT factory on my holiday and adressed the issue here aswell. They found it totally unacceptable and they will dive into it to find out what happened from their side aswell.


Decent news but are you not worried about selling in the future? A full respray and all...


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

If you're buying this car with your own money ie,it's not a rental that you are going to hand back,then I wouldn't accept this outcome.A full respray is really an invasive solution with all sorts of potential pitfalls.
I would have rejected,done a deal on the facelift and waited.


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## Shug750S (Feb 6, 2012)

Reject, or just get the dealer to pay for a really dynamic wrap?

You could drive around in a real one off for a couple of years and then if selling remove wrap and at three years old no one would worry about slight bumper colour difference?

Just a thought....


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## zooks (Sep 15, 2017)

Its a shame for the op its not right from the start.
Can they guarantee a respray will be as durable as the original factory finish or undetectable to a future buyer ?
Hope they look after you.


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

Are they painting the whole car or just the bumper? Seems extreme and unnecessary to do the whole car.


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## Shaninnik (Sep 17, 2016)

If they only respray bumper, then it will be undetectable to future buyers (if respraying quality will match factory) because bumper is plastic and pant thickness cant be measured on it. If they want to respray whole car then it is better to reject it beacause it will be huge pain when you will try to sell it later.


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## RuuTT (Apr 22, 2010)

leopard said:


> If you're buying this car with your own money ie,it's not a rental that you are going to hand back,then I wouldn't accept this outcome.A full respray is really an invasive solution with all sorts of potential pitfalls.
> I would have rejected,done a deal on the facelift and waited.


Yes, I bought it with my own money, no finance or rental. Sorry for not being clear; they will just respray the rear bumper. The problem with waiting for the facelift is 1) they are not willing to do so since prices are very uncertain, especially here in Holland where we have excissive taxes on sports cars. Chances are the new model will have higher emissions on paper which might cause the car to become a lot more expensive still. 2) that would also mean I won't have an RS for at least a year which is also very unfortunate. I cannot drive my old RS in the mean time since I traded it in a little early and now it's already sold.


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

RuuTT said:


> leopard said:
> 
> 
> > If you're buying this car with your own money ie,it's not a rental that you are going to hand back,then I wouldn't accept this outcome.A full respray is really an invasive solution with all sorts of potential pitfalls.
> ...


Have you found out why there is a mismatch with the paint work in the first place.


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

RuuTT said:


> leopard said:
> 
> 
> > If you're buying this car with your own money ie,it's not a rental that you are going to hand back,then I wouldn't accept this outcome.A full respray is really an invasive solution with all sorts of potential pitfalls.
> ...


Aaah this explains alot,originally thought you were based in UK  
If it's only the bumper then I'm sure it will work out OK.
Just make sure they remove the bumper to paint it mind.


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## Shaninnik (Sep 17, 2016)

Also be sure to check for paint drips (not sure that this is the right word :roll: ) on the edges. And arrange with them to re-polish your bumper after 3-4 weeks - this is the time usually needed for automotive clears to completely set in. Sometimes it can shrink a bit during this period, revealing more 'orange peel'


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## RuuTT (Apr 22, 2010)

Quick update; took delivery of the car yesterday. They removed the bumper and sprayed it, there is still a little color difference but well within acceptable range. Additionally I got a discount aswell as compensation. It's not a completely happy experience but all in all the matter has been revolved. Most importantly the car now looks spectacular as it should and so far it drives just as well so time for some happy miles in it


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## Alan Sl (Nov 11, 2009)

RuuTT said:


> Quick update; took delivery of the car yesterday. They removed the bumper and sprayed it, there is still a little color difference but well within acceptable range. Additionally I got a discount aswell as compensation. It's not a completely happy experience but all in all the matter has been revolved. Most importantly the car now looks spectacular as it should and so far it drives just as well so time for some happy miles in it


Really pleased that the problem has been resolved in the end for you. Hope you enjoy your new motor and happy motoring.


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

RuuTT said:


> Quick update; took delivery of the car yesterday. They removed the bumper and sprayed it, there is still a little color difference but well within acceptable range. Additionally I got a discount aswell as compensation. It's not a completely happy experience but all in all the matter has been revolved. Most importantly the car now looks spectacular as it should and so far it drives just as well so time for some happy miles in it


Excellent, sounds like a good outcome. Now to enjoy...a lot.


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## BauhauTTS (Jan 8, 2017)

Glad to hear there was a reasonable resolution. Hope it otherwise exceeds your hopes and wishes.


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