Only found out about this factory option today!

[Adomas G]

While browsing eBay I have stumbled upon a part that I have never seen in any A3 8P before-
A "remote" control cluster for the RNS-e system!

The first time I have personally seen one of these was a rental A8 D2 in Eastern Europe (the thing was actually very well-specced for a rental) but I have never actually seen one in an A3.
Upon further research, turns out it is fitted in place of a cig lighter/charger socket:

Funnily enough, this was the only one I could find on Autotrader for a photo reference and it was on a bare-bones 1.6 Sportback- no other RNS-e-equipped A3, S3 or RS3 seemed to have one.

Does anyone have any further info on these? Are they retrofittable?
Not like it makes a whole lot of a difference, just a toy I suppose, but still, for €15 shipped from Lithuania on eBay.co.uk is not a lot (suppose finding a wiring harness will be a pain in the backside though!)

Part no. 8P0 919 721 in case anyone is interested

 

[NHN]

It was fitted to the older rns-d units tbh not rns-e per se.

 

[aqibi2000]

Hmm this or the push button engine start...

 

[Adomas G]

It was fitted to the older rns-d units tbh not rns-e per se.

It would make sense as the A8 D2 featured one of those knobs- it had an RNS-D unit, although weren't RNS-Ds only available up to 2004? I do not recall seeing an A3 equipped with one (the one in the photo has a standard single-DIN Audi Concert).

Hmm this or the push button engine start...

Mate you're giving me ideas