A Perfect Pour of Performance: The Piedmont Project

[Author: William Hoey]

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the Q2 2025 issue of quattro Magazine. Audi Club members receive both print and digital access to the magazine, with the latest issue now available online. Click here to read the full issue and explore the quattro Magazine archives. 

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When it comes to cars, there are classics that age like fine wine. Then there are those whose exterior color may remind you of a glass of Cabernet. Lenny Piedmont’s 2024 Audi RS 3 in the gorgeous Audi Exclusive Rubino Red may just be as rare as that bottle of Bordeaux you’ve been saving. More widely known on social media as @audiproshots, Lenny’s automotive journey goes much farther back.

Even before he could drive, Lenny was always interested in cars. In fact, he spent countless hours learning how to read just so he could understand all of the contents of the car magazines he received as a kid. But out of all the makes and models the auto industry has to offer, why Audi?

For Audi enthusiasts, we all remember the first Audi that made us fall in love with the brand. For Lenny, it was the B8 generation. His parent’s first Audi was a 2008 Q7, which put the brand on Lenny’s radar. However, it wasn’t until his dad got an Estoril Blue 2013 Audi S4 that Lenny’s admiration for the marque was solidified. From that point on, he always found ways to include the Audi brand in his class projects throughout grade school.

Throughout Lenny’s life, he has always been a more visual person. When Instagram first launched, he was immediately drawn to it as a great platform to feature and view photography. His page began as a personal page posting content about his daily life. Lenny quickly realized that whenever he posted a photo of the gorgeous B8.5 Audi S4 with the silver two-tone interior, it got triple the likes and engagement. Because of this, his Instagram eventually transitioned into a “car page” and was even rebranded as “AutoProShots.” By this time, his parents not only had an S4 but also a newly leased Q5, offering plenty of content for his page.

Once Lenny realized that the pictures featuring Audis were getting the most attention, he pivoted even further to focus more on the brand. He developed a personal goal of gaining the attention of Audi USA in hopes of starting a career. Lenny began taking photography more seriously and developed an understanding of what shots worked best for the automotive realm. His page began to grow organically over the years and developed into what is now known as @audiproshots.

After graduating from college, Lenny entered the workforce and had a prior rapport with a local dealership, Audi Mohegan Lake. Barry, the GM at the time, told Lenny, “You know the cars so well, you could work here and sell them.” After one year at the dealership, Lenny found himself on the sales floor, and the four years he spent there played a pivotal role in his development with the Audi brand. Working at Mohegan Lake gave Lenny access to the entire inventory for his photography endeavors. With all of these new subjects at his disposal, his Instagram page soared. In tandem with his time at Audi, Lenny’s father also acquired an Audi S3 (8V) after trading in the beloved S4. Not only did the clean lines of the Mythos black exterior add fuel to the fire of his Instagram page, but it also became a catalyst for his involvement in the local car community. He began attending cars and coffees, going on cruises, and exploring other local events throughout the Tri-State area.

Even with his success at the dealership, Lenny still found himself regularly checking the Audi corporate career website. It was also time for Lenny to find a car of his own. After having previously started with a Jeep Grand Cherokee, it was only fitting for his next car to be an Audi. While he thought he had a B9 Audi S4 secured, it fell through, causing Lenny to scramble into an Alltrack. It was still an introduction to the Volkswagen family, and later on, he upgraded to an Mk7 Golf R. Eventually, the dealership schedule no longer suited Lenny’s lifestyle, especially with his desire to attend events that typically occurred on the weekends. After taking some time off, one of his connections in the car community introduced him to Anthony Federico, founder of Touch of Glass Detailing in New York. Originally, Anthony graciously let Lenny use the wash bay at TOG to clean his Golf R. Before long, Anthony reached out to Lenny to help boost their social media. What started with a few days a week quickly turned into a full-time position. This role allowed Lenny to stay true to his passion for automotive photography, giving him access to some cars one might never get the chance to see in real life. Constantly surrounded by the pinnacle of exotic cars, Lenny still aimed to be recognized by Audi as a photographer. This passion brought him back to Audi Mohegan Lake for a brief video project to capture the construction of the new dealership.

By this point, Lenny was well overdue for his first Audi. Based on his connections at Audi Mohegan Lake, he finally landed a Mythos Black B9 Audi S5. Getting your first Audi, regardless of the model, is a major achievement, and for Lenny, it gave him the drive he needed to continue his success on Instagram. While Lenny loved his S5, the announcement of the redesigned Audi RS 3 (8Y) had him salivating. He utilized his wide social media network to scan dealerships across the country to determine where he could get an allocation. His search led him to Audi Atlanta, where he submitted for an allocation. After months of silence, he received words of encouragement to continue his search elsewhere, as allocations were reaching Porsche-level difficulty. Undeterred, Lenny continued his search, and eventually, he found an allocation at Audi Cary in North Carolina. The RS 3 was Turbo Blue, and from then on, Lenny didn’t look back. He and the car took the Tri-State area and social media by storm. By now, Instagram Reels (short videos) had taken center stage over still imagery, and Lenny’s RS 3 became a highlight, with some Reels reaching one million views.

Lenny had finally gotten his five-cylinder car, which he affectionately referred to as a “spicy Jetta.” Then, in 2023, he received a call from Audi Atlanta saying not only was his original allocation accepted, but they could still offer the Audi Exclusive color option. This was unheard of, as Audi had stopped offering Audi Exclusive colors for that model year. So, the million-dollar question was, what color? Lenny was set on red for several reasons, but the primary one was to pay homage to the color of his first car. He wanted a darker red, and while Piedmont Red would have been too poetic, the color just didn’t feel quite right. It wasn’t until he stumbled upon a YouTube video from “Audi.Cafe,” featuring a dark red 8Y RS 3 in a European showroom, that Lenny discovered the color Rubino Red. After that, he submitted the allocation and took delivery in March 2024.

With his stunning Rubino Red Audi RS 3 and an almost cult-like following on social media, Lenny’s journey had come full circle. His involvement at LongRoof Rally and a recent sponsorship with Apex wheels has continued to fuel his success. Lenny’s refined taste in modifications ensures that his Audi stays looking OEM+ while adding slight performance upgrades. But beyond the cars, Lenny has solidified his role as both a shop manager and a social media influencer in the automotive space. His position at Touch of Glass Detailing is the perfect combination of his passion for cars and his expertise in social media content creation.

Fine wines are often stored away for special occasions, sometimes brought out only to admire the bottle. This wine-colored RS 3, however, is a bottle Lenny will happily uncork any day of the week.

[All photos by Lenny Piedmont unless otherwise noted.] Want to take advantage of Lenny’s photography skills for your own vehicle or event? Be sure to reach out to him on Instagram: @audiproshots