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Exactly. That's why a 911 turbo has always had leather as standard equipment. It is a luxury sports GT first. For me, I feel like the full leather takes away the "race car feel" of the interior. If I were to buy the GT3 as a daily driver, then I would get adaptive sports seats and get full leather, but I am buying it as a toy and track car, and therefore it will have carbon buckets and alcantara. If I could order full alcantara package with alcantara dash and more on the doors, I would do that. Track cars don't have leather interior. In fact, the 458 Speciale comes standard with Tech fabric and alcantara. Leather is only an option. So was the Scudedria and the Stradale. I loved the metal and exposed screws and alcantara on those cars!
At the end of the day the GT3 is a street car that can be used on the track. While most will use it on the track mainly, it is still a street car and people drive too and from the track. If you really want a track car then get a GT4 cup, GT3 cup or build a track car. This is a track car interior. If I wanted a dedicated track car only, I would definitely not go out and spend 160k on a GT3. Plenty of better cars for that purpose.
As far as parking outside in the rain, it is just getting in and out of you car. You can wipe down the doors in 30 seconds. I would imagine you wouldn't park outside with your windows down.
I agree it only gets wet when you're getting in and out. But, what if you're getting out of the car in the rain. The leather gets wet and you have no way to wipe it (with windows up). Let's say you're parking at the airport or some place you don't intend to return for days?
At the end of the day the GT3 is a street car that can be used on the track. While most will use it on the track mainly, it is still a street car and people drive too and from the track. If you really want a track car then get a GT4 cup, GT3 cup or build a track car. This is a track car interior. If I wanted a dedicated track car only, I would definitely not go out and spend 160k on a GT3. Plenty of better cars for that purpose.
If that interior was available on road GT3, I'd take it (aside from the sequential gearbox)
Actually, it probably suits the rumored "Cup" version of the GT3 RS more. Then you could even have a tall shifter like that for the PDK-S. If they ever make this model, it will sell well (though probably a Limited Edition for 918 VIP's)...
Standard interior just looks terrible imo. Plastic everywhere and the dash has a weird crease where the stitching should be. There is no alcantara on the center part of the door or lower dash/glove box either. I really can't see how anyone would get the standard plastic. $3500 for leather interior is worth it on a 150k car.
Tomatoe Tomahto. That interior looks perfect to me (save for the alcantara wheel). Tarting it up with stitched leather glued over it looks wacky in a sports car to me. My Spyder had the full leather dash because I had to buy a dealer spec car, and I never really cared for it. I could kinda understand it in that car, as it was a sporty street convertible, but I struggle to like it in a GT car. Even in the Spyder it felt kinda blingy and the first time the wife went for a ride in it she laughed at the idea of a leather dash.
I understand why people feel that a $150k car should have a leather interior included standard. I get why others feel a track oriented car should try to be lighter without leather. Personally, I wish full alcantara was available. I could get door and dash stitching and the premium/luxury feel without the inclusion of leather. I'm torn because I would like the pillars and doors with alcantara but then I have to do door tops and dash with leather which I don't want. I'm sure it streamlines the production process but the choice of all alcantara would be a nice addition to the offering and it looks like I'm not the only one.
Tomatoe Tomahto. That interior looks perfect to me (save for the alcantara wheel). Tarting it up with stitched leather glued over it looks wacky in a sports car to me. My Spyder had the full leather dash because I had to buy a dealer spec car, and I never really cared for it. I could kinda understand it in that car, as it was a sporty street convertible, but I struggle to like it in a GT car. Even in the Spyder it felt kinda blingy and the first time the wife went for a ride in it she laughed at the idea of a leather dash.
I guess we just have different ideas of sports cars. Most sports cars have some kind of leather or alcantara stitched dash and doors.
Mclaren 675LT
Ferrari 458 Speciale
Ferrari f430 Scuderia
Aventador SV
Mclaren F1
Heck even some cup cars have a leather dash. I have yet to find another high end sports car with a plastic dash aside from a non-optioned GT3.
So now it looks like we have a good number of people on both sides. I wonder if the OP wants to make this a poll (no use for another thread) with the options of track/no leather, track/leather, no track/no leather, no track/leather. Not that anybody should care about what others think in regards to purchasing their car options or whether or not to track their cars, but it just might be an interesting poll.
To each his own, but why would you do full leather in a track car?
To me, the standard interior says Porsche sports car and the leather interior says Porsche luxury car, which I get if it's a street car, but don't understand why anyone would do it on a track car.
How did Porsche ever sell cars before they started adding leather to the steering columns and fuse boxes?
well they are both street and track use cars, and I agree it looks cheap on a $150k (or even $100k) car to have plastic everywhere. The cost wasn't really an issue for ME, but if it was maybe I would have left it off or maybe I should have looked at a cheaper car ?
I don't really care how they sold cars before, but on a brand new 2015-16 top end car, this (IMHO) is just what it should be.
Now on a Cup car, or Clubsport I don't care as most of the interior is gone anyway.
If you prefer plastic dash, then I am glad for you, but the OP wanted to know our opinion on leather, so I shared mine
I guess we just have different ideas of sports cars. Most sports cars have some kind of leather or alcantara stitched dash and doors.
Mclaren 675LT
Ferrari 458 Speciale
Ferrari f430 Scuderia
Aventador SV
Mclaren F1
.
All the cars you list are high dollar bling supercars; the manufacturers have to do it to sell to those buyers. And most dashes of those look awful, particularly the McLaren, which looks the floor mats just grew up the sides of the car and onto the dash. Perfect example of tarting up a car. Manufacturers do it because somewhere along the line, one of their marketing folks realized that people would pay obscene amounts of money to have them slap leather all over every surface of the interior of the car.
Again, this is like debating paint colors, everyone should get what they like. But a leather dash and steering column doesn't scream race car.
All the cars you list are high dollar bling supercars; the manufacturers have to do it to sell to those buyers. And most dashes of those look awful, particularly the McLaren, which looks the floor mats just grew up the sides of the car and onto the dash. Perfect example of tarting up a car. Manufacturers do it because somewhere along the line, one of their marketing folks realized that people would pay obscene amounts of money to have them slap leather all over every surface of the interior of the car.
Again, this is like debating paint colors, everyone should get what they like. But a leather dash and steering column doesn't scream race car.
+1, like I said I do not own any race cars......looking at GT4 Clubsport in the future though!
A few comments after reading through 4 pages of this thread!
Originally Posted by drdonger
The interior looks really cheap without full leather. I don't
know any other car that offers a plastic dash at this price
level.
Audi for one. My expensive $120K+ RS7 has a plastic dash
& there is no option to upgrade to leather or anything else!
And the top panels the doors are plastic too. And similarly, you
can't upgrade them either. Audi probably does it to avoid damage
(especially under their 4-year warranty coverage period, which will
take money from their own pockets) for when it rains & some water
lands on it when opening doors or lowering windows at toll gates, etc.
The rest of the RS7 interior, however, gets the usual high-end
Audi treatment in their top models, with of leather & alcantara,
with deviating stitching that makes it visually 'pop'!
****
Originally Posted by qbix
I wish they offered full Alcantara instead of leather
Originally Posted by bccars
I'm not a leather liker, lover, nor
fetishist. Never buy the full leather... Until I noticed the full
leather package adds alcantara. I loooove alcantara...
Originally Posted by Terrence
If I could order full alcantara package with alcantara dash
and more on the doors, I would do that. Track cars don't
have leather interior. In fact, the 458 Speciale comes standard
with Tech fabric and alcantara. Leather is only an option.
So was the Scudedria and the Stradale. I loved the metal
and exposed screws and alcantara on those cars!
I love alcantara. As an interesting side note which I am sure
is familiar to Terrence, Ferrari offers the interior of some models
(like the 458) to have alcantara instead of weaved carpeting in
the interior. And you can also option a trunk liner in alcantara.
That is 'rich':
I hope Porsche offers alcantara carpeting & trunk liners too!
***
Its amazing how Alcantara has steadily gained ground in the
sport car market. I have posted before about this incredible
product & how it's used by the auto industry.
Originally Posted by Z356
Alcantara® is offered by the world's leading sport car
manufacturers on their sportiest models. That includes
Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and Porsche.
...Personally I love it. In my opinion, the biggest drawback
at the moment is the inability of Porsche yet to create a
ventilated seat solution using this grippy material.
Alcantara S.p.A.* offers square and round perforation
options:
But PAG & its seat supplier apparently don't feel
comfortable enough with its longevity (resistant
to tears due to its perforations on the fabric) to
offer a ventilated seat covered in this 'artificial
suede' material.
I anticipate auto manufacturers will increase
their offerings of Alcantara in different colors
in the future and expect alcantara to continue
to grow in popularity among sport car aficionados!
*Alcantara® is manufactured by a specialized
company based in Italy and apparently owned
by the Japanese. 'Alcantara is a covering microfibre
material manufactured and marketed by Alcantara
S.p.A. It is primarily used in the design, fashion,
accessories, consumer electronics, automotive
and marine industries. The material was developed
in the early 1970s by Miyoshi Okamoto, a scientist
working for the Japanese chemical company Toray
Industries. It was based on the same technology
as another product from the same company named
Ultrasuede. Around 1972, a joint venture between
Italian chemical company ENI and Toray formed
Alcantara SpA in order to manufacture and distribute
the material. ALCANTARA S.p.A. was formerly known
as IGANTO S.p.A. and changed its name in 1981.
The company is now owned by Toray and Mitsui.'
***
Originally Posted by Tangerine
I've always liked Alcantara dashes. Has Porsche stated why
they don't offer them?
Not to my knowledge. But they are always very concerned
about warranty issues that could come back to effect their
profitability!
***
Originally Posted by drdonger
Standard interior just looks terrible imo. There is no alcantara
on the center part of the door or lower dash/glove box either.
Originally Posted by GrantG
I get your point, but your photo also perfectly illustrates what
I was talking about with the upper door trim getting wet in the
rain...Also for those who do PCA driving events, they make you
drive with your window down even in the weather.
I own a 2015 991 gt3 that is one of the ten 'Signal Green' cars,
all specced the same & without a full leather interior. Apparently
the fashion gurus at PAG that selected the options on all our ten
'Signal Green' vehicles decided that they needed to be very dark
& Spartan, so a full leather interior was not opted. However, they
decided instead that the dash trim, console trim, door trim & the
back of the 'Sport Seats Plus' (4-way) merited to be covered in
'black' leather to create an interior worthy of a proper Teutonic
Road Warrior!
I truly believe that the above interior is representative of what/how
someone at Porsche Motorsport would order their ideal gt3. Except
they would have added the Full Bucket Seats!
Me, had I been able to specced it, would have gone for full leather,
deviated stitching & all the other cool options - dashboard trim pkg,
steering column casing & alcantara sunvisors. I option my cars just
like I order my bagels - lox, onions, tomatoes, dill, capers & extra
heavy on the shmear! I guess I am simply not a Teutonic warrior!
*********
Originally Posted by loopsandsounds
Full leather because it's lighter!
Originally Posted by d00d
This is the second time someone has
written this, how can leather be lighter?
They glue the leather to the vinyl
dashboard, so unless it's made of
He (Helium for us non-techies), it
adds weight.
Yes, I am with d00d on this topic. It's
very hard for me to believe that is true.
Let me tell you where I think this rumor
started. Back in 7/05/2016 Rennlister
Jeff (JCBH) took delivery at the factory
of a beautiful 'Viper Green' 991 gt3 RS,
which included even his underhood signed
by Andreas Preuninger.
And he posted the following:
Originally Posted by JCBH
...Another interesting tidbit I mentioned elsewhere -
the leather interior on the RS/R/GT3 is actually
LIGHTER than the plastic stock interior...so all
of the people that think they are building a hot
rod by skipping those luxurious and stylish options
are wrong!
Someone else in our forum quickly asked Jeff to
explain why he had posted these remarks:
Originally Posted by vantage
I'd be interested in hearing more on why the
leather interior weighs less.
But I don't remember Jeff answering why the
leather interior is lighter with full leather! He
must have heard something related to this when
talking to the 'Exclusive Manufaktur' workers
that added some CXX options on his car at their
special workshop...or from Andreas Preuninger
himself! For this rumor to be correct every
interior plastic panel that can be option with
leather would have to be form thinner & lighter
than the regular 'standard' panels. That would
be an enormous duplication of parts. But it's
all technically possible I suppose. It would be
interesting if we can follow up with Jeff & learn
the reason he posted what he did!
***
Originally Posted by d00d
I'd prefer a non CXX option of black
stitching for the dashboard and upper
doors, while keeping the color stitching
for the lower doors and seats, I think
mooty ordered his RS that way.
I think this is what d00d prefers:
Originally Posted by mooty
...I splurged on (God forbid) DEVIATING STITCHING in
very expensive BLACK. I think I may b the only idiot to
pay more to not see the threads...
***
It has been a long post but I needed to cover a lot
of ground. And researching these posts & including
illustrative photos & links take a lot of time to prepare.
I hope a least one or two of you has found that it was
worth your while reading!
06-02-2017, 03:19 PM
That's why a 911 turbo has always had leather as standard equipment. It is a luxury sports GT first. For me, I feel like the full leather takes away the "race car feel" of the interior. If I were to buy the GT3 as a daily driver, then I would get adaptive sports seats and get full leather, but I am buying it as a toy and track car, and therefore it will have carbon buckets and alcantara. If I could order full alcantara package with alcantara dash and more on the doors, I would do that. Track cars don't have leather interior. In fact, the 458 Speciale comes standard with Tech fabric and alcantara. Leather is only an option. So was the Scudedria and the Stradale. I loved the metal and exposed screws and alcantara on those cars! 
