how come many 911 seats are not specced with Alcantara?
I thought alcantara would be preferred since it is more grippier than leather and comfy but I don't see many cars with it, any reason?

also, can a 2010 911 order be placed now to get it by july or is it 2011 and if so any price increase?

Thanks

 

it is a touch more expensive, very hard to keep clean, and wears a bit harder and with Porsche's being daily driveable it would look used up pretty fast.

Just my opinion.

I have a car with the entire interior done in yellow alcantara and its a real pain to keep clean

 

I would not buy one - same reasons as poster above - I prefer leather as it is more durable and very easy to clean.

PS. And when I accidentally scratch my steering wheel with my wedding band I just spit on my thumb and rub it all back into place. Good luck with alcantara on doing such a trick...

 

I don't understand the fascination with Alcantara (faux suede). I prefer real leather for it's durability and classic looks.

 

As I understand it, the cost is quite high. Although it may not be that much higher than the high grade leather that is used in luxury cars, it is much more than the typical material.

As to what the other posts said, it seems odd that it wears faster and stains easier. It is touted as being very durable and resistant to stains (although I would think it would stain easier than leather but much harder than normal cloth materials).

I had it on my seats in my STI and there was no wear at all after the 2.5 years of DD that I gave it.

 

I had leather Adaptive Sport Seats in my Carrera S, and now I have Alcantara Adaptive Sport Seats in my GT3 (Alcantara is standard in GT3 seats.)

I like them both....

When I bought my Carrera S, I intended to drive it everyday with comfort, and ocassionally use it on tracks. The leather seat was nice that I could micro-adjust my body in it comfortably during long drive, looked and smelled like new even years of rainy and sweaty seasons of driving. Yet for track days, it could be relatively a bit less grippy in hard cornering & braking compares to the Alcantara surface.

When I bought my GT3, I intended to sign myself up to more track days, yet to drive it on road for non-daily basis. The Alcantara seat serves its grippy purpose for spiritual driving. So far my seats are still pretty new, and I have learned a few tricks from you folks to maintain it (soft kitchen sponge, etc.) Yet I am not sure if I would like to get the seat wet in the stormy and rainy seasons.

To me, each material serves its intended purpose pretty well, like different tool for different job.

Just my experience.

With best regards,

 

According to the "ultimate factories" show, alcantara is used on exotic cars like the Murcielago to save weight over leather.

 

I have Alcantera seat inserts ordered from the factory and I love them. It was not available building a car on the PCNA Web site but was available from the 2009 order guide.

 

+1 . It's hard to clean, absorbs just about anything from dirt on ones clothes to sweat. It even feels dirty. Now it's true that one can't slide in his seat and the steering wheel grip may be more secure but no peach fuzz for me .

But it's a personal taste thing . The guys who like it can't imagine the car without it plus on a hot day it is cooler so it does have some benefits . I just don't like it for me. It skeeves me out.

 

Hmmm .. a new obstacle of marriage presents itself in the least likely of places. I never considered this but reading it raised some awareness.

 

Full response to your thread at RennList already, but basically I had it in my GT3, didn't like it.

 

Cars. She thinks i'm crazy but does it to make me happy.

 

Alcantara is nice on places like the headliner or parts which you dont touch all the time.
On the seats I would go for normal leather - or Porsche's "I-would-like-to-be-leather" leatherette stuff....

 

I'm a well known alcantara true believer. It covers the steering wheel, shifter, center console, console lid cover, and e-brake handle in my car. I would gladly have it on the dash and the seat inserts if it wasn't so complex and costly to do that mod.
At home, my dining room chairs and living room furniture are also covered with the stuff.
I readily accept that to some it feels odd (or worse). My two sons are not fond of it on the wheel and remind me quite often. But I like like the feel, the grip, the modern/industrial look, and the way it moderates temperatures - both hot and cold. It would be great to have the grippy stuff on the seats.
It's definitely not for everyone, and it requires greater diligence to ensure it isn't marred or stained (I squirt five coats of Scotchguard on it before installation) but I'll be sure to special order it (if possible) if I ever buy 'new'. Which is not very likely.

 

I have alcantara on my seats, dash, steering wheel, shifter, console cover, e-brake and headliner. I love it. Looks much more exotic than plain leather and different than other 997's. So far there are no wear issues at all, but the car is not a dd for me.

I'm surprised so many people don't like alcantara.

I wonder if those same people would have the same opinion of the Gallardo Superleggera interior?