If you see them in person, plain leather options (including Garnet Red/Black) are not as good in quality as any natural leather option. Porsche's plain leather quality is not really good. You can get Garnet Red natural leather interior with some stitchings, I think. As Keadog has just said above, "you get the full thickness of the hide" with natural leather. Just my 2 cents.

 

Indeed. When it comes to leather, quality is everything. People talk about leather selection almost entirely in terms of color, as if they are all the same, when in fact it is not even close. The Natural Leathers Espresso, Garnet, Espresso/Cognac (and LTS) are full natural grain leathers that show the natural hide grain and look, feel and smell noticeably better. They are also much more durable. The other leathers are made by first shaving the hide to about half thickness, then stamping them with a fake grain. Shaving weakens the leather, while stamping crushes and closes natural pores in the hide, ruining its natural breathability and comfort while making it harder for conditioners to penetrate and preserve the leather from aging. Even though it is thinner, the resulting leather doesn't feel anywhere near as soft and supple as Natural Leather.

 

That's a nice color combo (silver/espresso)

 

The purpose of shaving the hides is to have a equal thickness at the seams. I do like the feel and look of the natural leather packages much better..

 

I would jump all over GT Silver/Espresso. It looks great at any age.

 

You are not getting anywhere close to "the full thickness of the hide" with either the standard or "natural" leather. There is probably minimal, if any, difference in thickness between the two, except perhaps on the seats. The main differences are going to be in the tanning processes and overall quality, and that the "natural" is traditionally dyed whereas the "dye" used on the standard is more like a paint. (Although, since the leather is relatively thin, the "paint" will usually soak all or most of the way through.)

 

Thanks again for all of the feedback, guys. I decided to pass up on the GT silver car and instead ordered a 2015 Turbo, Agate Grey with the black/ red interior. I was able to get a very good discount, approximating the discounts on leftover 2014 models.

 

Yeah, I shouldn't have said "full natural grain" as that is too easily confused with "full grain". What I should have said is "top grain".

When hides are shaved thinner it results in a top, bottom, and shavings. The top half, called top grain, is what you get with Natural Leather. (And by the way this is across the leather industry, not peculiar to Porsche at all. What everyone else calls top grain Porsche calls Natural.) It usually is thicker but the defining factor is top grain not thickness. The lower portion of course looks like crap and has to be embossed with fake grain. This leather feels papery and cold compared to top grain. Knowing these differences its easier to understand why the grain of the lesser leathers is so fine and uniform, and why Porsche cautions that Natural may show some imperfections. Over the years people have become so accustomed to the uniformity of the lesser quality fake grain leathers they no longer know what they're looking at to the point Porsche feels obliged to issue warnings!

 

Hey I never said I didnt like it, I just said I havent seen it. I like it alot, but I thought I caught a hint of maybe Eg doesnt keep cars for ever. And if he wants to sell it in 3 or 4 years it might not be the best resale combo. I have seen a ton of GT silvers with black, a few with grey, few with Red Oiy!!
I just havent seen expresso on this color. I have seen in on White and as the OP stated it was a guy who was in his 70's Coincidence? Nowhere did I state "I DONT LIKE IT!"
As far as you guys saying "I would care what others think" Well dammit get off the forum. This place is to me a living breathing encyclopedia, and if Eg Didn't care what others thought he wouldn't have come here, and he wouldnt have asked us our opinion. I love to hear what others think. Its what makes life interesting.

 

The "Natural" leather is "full grain" leather. That means it's the outer part of the hide in its "natural" state. The standard leather is most likely "top grain" (and not some lesser grade) leather, which means the imperfections on the outer layer have been sanded off. Full grain takes, and looks better with, traditional leather dyes. Top grain, which has had the outer layer removed, may have a "pattern" embossed on it and, since it doesn't take traditional dyes as well, is coated with a paint-like dye. Top grain isn't as durable and doesn't age as well as full grain.

Full grain is more expensive because it's better -- better appearance, better feel, better durability, ... -- and because many hides aren't suitable for use as full grain leather because the imperfections are too severe; cows live essentially "in the wild" and get cuts/scratches/scars from any number of sources. So, although I don't know the actual percentages, out of a hundred hides, some relatively small percentage will be suitable for use as full grain. A relatively larger percentage will be useable, once sanded down, as top grain, and the rest go for other applications or are discarded. Essentially a supply and demand issue determines price.

I've attached a schematic of a hide cross-section that shows the differences fairly well. The actual thicknesses of the cut will vary, according to the intended application (for example, air vent slats would use very thin leather, while seats would use a thicker leather) but the essential factors remain the same, regardless.