Alcantara regrets
Discussion
te after a few thousand milesPhantomPH said:
The alcantara in mine has been one of the features of the car that gets really positive comments. Passengers love it.
In the cold weather, the wheel is never cold to the touch like a leather one - definitely a plus for someone like me who feels cold!
Yes, a doctor friend of mine ordered an Audi with, he thought, a heated steering wheel, as he has early starts on cold mornings. But, it arrived without. Some dispute about who was to blame, but in the end they offered to fit an Alcantra s/w. He was sceptical at first, but has been delighted with it - and it looks great. In the cold weather, the wheel is never cold to the touch like a leather one - definitely a plus for someone like me who feels cold!
hixster said:
I don't get why people get so excited about alcantara as something special - as a synthetic alternative it just looks cheaper in my opinion
I am in agreement .... although as I am in the Upholstery Business ( not Auto related ) I know that Alcantara is at least 3 x the cost of Leather . This is why it was a no cost option on the 981 GTS .I will spec the all leather option on the new 718 GTS and have the lower parts retrimmed aftermarket in a lighter colour + Sport-Tex for the seat inserts .
As pointed out on following posts this may not help with re sale but it's my preference which counts at the time of purchase , especially if I plan to keep the car for a long time .
I'll go out on a limb and say I like Alcantara (faux suede 
)
I suppose it does depend upon how you 'use' it; mines on a GT3 so doesn't really see that much use without gloves, but I also find its dead easy to clean.
My cars' got 30K miles on it now, and it looks as good as the day it was new.
)I suppose it does depend upon how you 'use' it; mines on a GT3 so doesn't really see that much use without gloves, but I also find its dead easy to clean.
My cars' got 30K miles on it now, and it looks as good as the day it was new.
red997 said:
I'll go out on a limb and say I like Alcantara (faux suede )
I suppose it does depend upon how you 'use' it; mines on a GT3 so doesn't really see that much use without gloves, but I also find its dead easy to clean.
My cars' got 30K miles on it now, and it looks as good as the day it was new.
I wonder if they have improved is somehow?...my 7.1RS showed steering wheel wear within two years, but the subsequent cars had have had no wear/(7,000 miles each roughly on my 7.1RS2 and 991RS, a lot of it on track, and I do not wear gloves)...I should though, come to think of it. )I suppose it does depend upon how you 'use' it; mines on a GT3 so doesn't really see that much use without gloves, but I also find its dead easy to clean.
My cars' got 30K miles on it now, and it looks as good as the day it was new.
Koln-RS said:
PhantomPH said:
The alcantara in mine has been one of the features of the car that gets really positive comments. Passengers love it.
In the cold weather, the wheel is never cold to the touch like a leather one - definitely a plus for someone like me who feels cold!
Yes, a doctor friend of mine ordered an Audi with, he thought, a heated steering wheel, as he has early starts on cold mornings. But, it arrived without. Some dispute about who was to blame, but in the end they offered to fit an Alcantra s/w. He was sceptical at first, but has been delighted with it - and it looks great. In the cold weather, the wheel is never cold to the touch like a leather one - definitely a plus for someone like me who feels cold!
woollyjoe said:
BMW leather for example is the worst example of this IMO, heavily stamped with faux hide and very thin it wears quickly. Audi leather has no texture which I quite like. Mercedes (up to E class) have opted for full plastic / pleather which has advanced from the cheap examples. Very good material in it's own right and lasts well.
I agree. BMW (standard) leather is pretty poor.woollyjoe said:
If faced with a choice of this so called modern leather, alcantara is the better material. Porsche leather is nicer than most as standard, and the upgraded leather option is genuinely a better leather and will be opting for this on next Porsche.
Do you mean natural leather? I would have considered it but it's only available in British Leyland Brown.woollyjoe said:
Alcantara is pretty much indestructible and does not wear. It is a wonder fabric and you should not worry. It's technically advanced.
BMW leather for example is the worst example of this IMO, heavily stamped with faux hide and very thin it wears quickly. Audi leather has no texture which I quite like. Mercedes (up to E class) have opted for full plastic / pleather which has advanced from the cheap examples. Very good material in it's own right and lasts well.
really ? - our new X5 has beautiful leather BMW leather for example is the worst example of this IMO, heavily stamped with faux hide and very thin it wears quickly. Audi leather has no texture which I quite like. Mercedes (up to E class) have opted for full plastic / pleather which has advanced from the cheap examples. Very good material in it's own right and lasts well.
doesn't appear to have any hide / grain.
too early to say how well it's wearing.
The leather on the GT is pristine too (where it's not Alcantara).
I do keep it clean though which helps
SRT Hellcat said:
woollyjoe said:
Alcantara is pretty much indestructible and does not wear. It is a wonder fabric and you should not worry. It's technically advanced.
It is in effect plastic though (heavily worked).
Until the end of your cigarette falls offIt is in effect plastic though (heavily worked).
The one question I ask before buying any used car is, "Is there any evidence it has been smoked in?". And since I have a nose like a bloodhound, I will know. I have rejected a number of cars over the years because as soon as I go near the thing I get the 'hint' that a smoker has spent time in it. At which point I walk away and never look back.
PhantomPH said:
At which point it's your own fault and I hope Porsche would charge you a million pounds to fix it.
The one question I ask before buying any used car is, "Is there any evidence it has been smoked in?". And since I have a nose like a bloodhound, I will know. I have rejected a number of cars over the years because as soon as I go near the thing I get the 'hint' that a smoker has spent time in it. At which point I walk away and never look back.
The one downsize of specifying the (free in the 981) smoker package for the extra power point it provides is that it may convey the wrong impression...The one question I ask before buying any used car is, "Is there any evidence it has been smoked in?". And since I have a nose like a bloodhound, I will know. I have rejected a number of cars over the years because as soon as I go near the thing I get the 'hint' that a smoker has spent time in it. At which point I walk away and never look back.
bcr5784 said:
The one downsize of specifying the (free in the 981) smoker package for the extra power point it provides is that it may convey the wrong impression...
I must admit, that was a red flag for me until I realised that Porsche owners (from new) tend to specify this option quite often and it has no reflection on their habits at all. Tough to train that out of my mind, tho!
PhantomPH said:
bcr5784 said:
The one downsize of specifying the (free in the 981) smoker package for the extra power point it provides is that it may convey the wrong impression...
I must admit, that was a red flag for me until I realised that Porsche owners (from new) tend to specify this option quite often and it has no reflection on their habits at all. Tough to train that out of my mind, tho!Gassing Station | Boxster/Cayman | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff