ville,
thanks for the link. Yes, these parts are about $500 new from the dealer...however, I have found a few salvage yards in the US that will have them for $100-$200. For our purpose, we do not need a fully functional unit, just the faceplate that is 2002+ (facelift upgrade; matte black/grey) to match the RNS-E.
I am currently working on a list of part#'s for anyone with a 2000/2001 A6 that would be upgrading to the RNS-E and wants the climate control unit to match. I'll post more details and pix when I have them.
Please let us know if you find a source that will sell the faceplates for 100 Euro.
-ted