My first 911, a1970 911E had leather seats. My second 911, a 1979SCT, only had leather seats. Had each about 6-7 years and they both had "the smell" (though diminished) when I sold them.

This 991C2S had over $4k worth of leather, but still had more of a plastic/new material smell. Then at nearly 1,000 miles the Oder was gone.

Two new Mini Works cars with leather have been the same.....not long for "the smell". Earlier new Benz's were about the same.

So what's the point in loading up on leather? Just to see the stitching and bragging rights?

I want the car to smell like a leather shop......for a long time!

Anybody here know anything about the leather business?

RCU
'13 C2S
'13 Mini Works
'12 BMW K16GT

 

Two words: Chemical Guys. I use their leather conditioner for the "inside a new pair of Alden shoes smell".

Sent from my iPhone using Rennlist

 

It's replaced with fart smell

 

the strong smell of leather in years past was partly the result of tanning chemicals now considered bad for the tanner and the environment
but I agree ...my first 911, a 1987 with full leather had such a wonderful heady aroma that my clothes smelled of it and friends said I smelled like a leather chair when I walked into a room..
that is long gone from modern Porsches, which like almost all modern cars which dont have full dyed aniline skin , have a thin layer of "clear coat " applied over the leather to be more stain resistant and which ali suppresses aroma

 

All the best chemicals that made for the best quality and created the smells we associate with a leather interior have been pretty much banned out of existence by tree-hugger spoil-sports. We should be thankful I guess for being able to use hides at all, considering how few are collected with the proper consent forms having been completed by the affected cattle. I've tried this stuff but its kind of a let down knowing your nostrils are getting the scent but you're missing the full benefit of those good old noxious chemicals of days of yore. http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks

 

A lot of the "leather smell" is actually the smell of the dyes. If you've ever smelled an undyed hide, the "leather smell" isn't really that strong. Probably, newer, less toxic, dyes don't have the staying power of the older dyes, in terms of smell. But, the leather, if well cared for, will still look, and certainly feel, nicer several years down the road than plastic.

 

Well, in fairness to the tree-huggers, benzene is a pretty toxic chemical.

 

Companies have spent millions trying to replicate the new car smell in an aerosol that we can all buy over the counter.

 

They just don't make cows like they used to.

 

new car smell was and some time still is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is used as leather preservative and embalming fluid. - so it should be good for your car and your body. After I buy a new car I let air out with windows down in a garage for a few month
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/w...r.smell/?imw=Y
now available in a new cadaver lab smell

 

In all the fairness benzine still makes up much of the gasoline / petrol

 

The odors you are referring to are called VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds).
There is concerted effort world wide to reduce VOC's because of health concerns.
My full leather 2013 981 had almost no new car or leather smell and now has none.
Each succeeding Volvo we have purchased since 1987 has less and less leather smell.
On the other hand when my brother in law got a new Z06 assembled with glue and other volatile components, I could not drive very far with him.
I certainly am used to the leather smell but understanding the concern and being sensitive to odors, I have no problems with the attempt to minimize VOC's-Dick
http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/blog...hing-after-all

 

Right, and you wouldn't want that all over the interior of you car.

 

Harold:

Read Dick's post. If the smell can be duplicated safely with some synthetics, why don't Mfg use it?

 

Yup. And that's the sick part, that in reality it stinks. Nobody'd ever pay to spray "new car scent" anywhere but in a car. Because we associate the stink with a nice new car. Sure we had to go through a rough adjustment when car paints and leather dyes were crap because they hadn't figured out the less-toxic chemistry yet, but with a few exceptions here and there those days are pretty well long gone I think. And good riddance I say. Here's to Mother Earth!

Okay I gotta go now. Just as soon as I print this up and tear into little strips, to go in my worm bin....