I was reading the preliminary ordering documents and it has "standard leather" as $0, does that mean the previous "leather interior" package is now standard (thank god) or that the preliminary price guides are still too preliminary to put a price on it yet ? Also it says that leather sports seats are $0 as well (yet somehow standard leather seats are over $1000 option). Is that true ? That would save prospective 997 owners thousands of $$$ from the 996 model.

 

Don't count on a full leather interior. At the early stages of production, you typically find full leather seating, and a leather wheel, maybe leather shifter and brake handle. That's typically about it.

 

Std leather means leather seating surfaces front, vinyl seating surfaces rear , leather shift ****, steering wheel, handbrake and maybe on the 997, token leather over door airbag cover or door storage bin lid. Rest will be plastic. All the pics you've seen so far are full leather and possibly even more expensive leather upgrades like the stitching on the front center console around the PCM screen / HVAC area .
It will be interesting to see what they've done with the " base " interior, plastics - wise.