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Some good news for those of you like me who have been yearning for an interior cover for the 981 Spyder:
To my knowledge, none of the major car cover manufacturers offer a custom-fit, high quality interior cover designed specifically for the Spyder because not enough interest has been shown and the limited number of cars produced means modest projected sales of covers, at best.
Well, that didn't stop fellow 981 Spyder owner, Jerry (Joys4me), who reached out directly to Covercraft Industries requesting such an interior cover. They told him they would first have to first make an appointment at a Porsche dealership so they could see a car in person to make a pattern. Instead, and in order to move production along, Jerry volunteered to bring his Spyder directly to Covercraft to meet with a designer and let them use his car to cut the pattern. He drove up to Canoga Park recently for the fitting and here's the pattern being cut:
Jerry will drive back up in mid-February for the final fit and sample review. He said he thinks Covercraft will give him the sample to use so if that happens we will definitely post some pics here. Right now it's unclear when sales to the public will begin once the final fit takes place, but hopefully it's shortly thereafter.
According to Jerry, the preliminary design has the front and sides of the cover secured using ties/velcro straps to the windshield wipers and the door handles, respectively. This is typical of interior covers I have owned for other convertibles, including my Z3:
Where it gets tricky is securing the rear of the interior cover to the car because on the Spyder there aren't any obvious points of attachment. Right now, the preliminary design, according to Jerry, has the rear of the cover secured by elastic straps going to the rear wheel wells. Not sure how this would work exactly, but we'll have to see what the finished product looks like.
Big thanks to Jerry for taking the initiative to get a major car cover manufacturer to step up and design an interior cover for our cars and kudos to Covercraft for moving forward with the project timely. I know Covercraft offers their covers in a range of materials, from a basic nylon windbreaker-like material to a heavier, thicker, padded material which they typically use for their cold-climate outdoor car covers. I hope they will offer the Spyder interior cover in a multitude of colors (make mine red) and fabric materials.
If you've never had an interior cover, you will want one. Easy on/easy off. Folds up compactly. Saves you from putting the top up when you're stepping away from the car for a limited time or when the car will be in eyesight and you just want to keep the interior free from droppings, intense sunlight, prying eyes, etc. These covers hardly ever need cleaning due to their limited contact primarily with the front windshield.
I bought this one on eBay recently and it worked surprisingly well even though it was designed for a non-Spyder 981. Slips under the wipers, around the mirrors and tucks neatly under the rear deck.
Seems like more work than putting up the top when you factor storage? Just curious .......
I just prefer the birds crap on the cover than on the car's top. The one I posted has a rubbery back to it as well, so adds a little insurance against those coastal So Cal monsoons that roll in unexpectedly.
This is actually a good idea. Thanks for the initiative, Jerry, Nick. I would consider it. Yes, this might be more work. But, it will save the top from wear and tear. I could just leave the top down for weeks and months, unless there is a chance of rain. If one is planning to keep the car for good, as I do, then minimizing the wear of the top from frequent operation would help a great deal.
Ok, so . . . umm . . . this is the first prototype of the Spyder interior cover proposed by Covercraft. They provided it to Jerry for his use and feedback. Like me, Jerry finds the cover to be awkward in appearance and not of a design aesthetic that does justice to the Spyder's sensuous lines. As suspected, the lack of any possible adherence points on the smooth rear deck lid poses design challenges that make the rear wheel wells the only option for securing the back of the cover.
The current thinking is that if the rear of the cover came back bimini-style over a portion of the rear lid and did not end abruptly behind the roll hoops, it would greatly enhance the appearance and if the cover could maintain to a great extent the profile of the roof when raised, that would be preferred.
On a more positive note, according to Jerry the quality of the material is top notch and the install is a breeze.
To Covercraft's credit, they agreed to entertain design changes so Jerry headed back up to Canoga Park last week (for a third time) to try to get the design sorted out. It's a 90 mile drive one-way from south Orange County to Canoga Park in soul crushing Los Angeles traffic so to say Jerry has gone above and beyond is an understatement. Thanks, Jerry! And hats off to Covercraft for their willingness to start fresh with a clean sheet and go at this project anew.
Will update when the second prototype is complete for those who remain interested in a custom interior cover for the Spyder.
The front and sides look perfect but the rear definitely looks a bit off. Can they perhaps use the brake light as a mounting point in the back assuming the extend the cloth back further?
01-30-2018, 01:13 AM
981 Spyder Interior Cover - Coming Soon!
And hats off to Covercraft for their willingness to start fresh with a clean sheet and go at this project anew.
