DerekAustinTexas

Does anyone know if the seat front of the full leather ventilated seats looks any different than standard leather ventilated seats? Is the leather quality or stitching any different? I wanted to make sure I match the leather rear center console I am ordering and I heard that the color and texture of Sea Blue is different if it standard vs full leather. I haven't been able to get good info on this issue searching the forums or the web for pics.

stevepow

I think the Vent seats look much nicer. Color-wise and stitching, they are the same - at least for Sand Beige. All areas including bolsters of the seats are perforated versus just the centers as in heated seats. From the cars I have seen at the dealer, standard versus full leather looks the same on the seating surface of vented seats (unlike the normal and heated seats), but there may be more leather on the non-seating surface for full leather - I cannot recall.

Sea Blue should be Sea Blue in any case - there are too many non-leather parts in standard or full leather for there to be two different versions of the same color - imagine the confusion that would create.

DerekAustinTexas

Thanks. Exactly the input I needed. I am leaning towards standard leather, as I do not care if the seat backs or rear seats are leather, but I do want the rear center console to be leather.

stevepow

You should hit the dealer and take a look at some cars just to make sure. It is not easy to decipher what Porsche means by standard (limited) leather and full (not full at all really) from the literature or WEB site.

rijowysock

full leather is smoother than the non full leather which is grainy.. im not sure if this is a 100% but every full leather car i see/had is very smooth... like a fine shoe leather.. all the non full leather cars ive seen/had are grainy.. like the dashes on non full leather.. my guess is so that everything matches.. as the doors and dash have to be grainy as thats how they are made so they choose leather that is grainy as well.

DerekAustinTexas

Interesting. My dealer doesn't have any full leather cars. I would be concerned that the grainy leather of the standard leather may clash with the smooth leather, which I guess is what would be spec'd in the leather of the rear console, but then again with ventilated perforated seatsit may not matter. I do not want a leather dash, just seats and the center console.

stevepow

All the leather in my car that is not on the seats is smooth, just like the full leather cars. Steering wheel, shift trim, CC cover, door handles, arm rests - all smooth just like a dash on a full leather car - that's a 997.2 anyway; earlier models I have no idea.

And if you look anywhere to order leather parts, replacement or otherwise (call your parts guy to verify), there is no difference in the same leather part for smooth or full or whatever as far as I can tell from the bits I have added.

Eric - Plug Guy

Many inventory cars are limited leather. Full leather, from Porsche, is a stupid priced option, but a gorgeous thing to do. Very few dealers go out on that multi-thousand-dollar limb for an inventory car.

Better chance to find it in the service dept. Make friends back there, and when a full leather car comes in for service, swing by. It is worth the extra time to investigate this.....trust me (and others here).

Full leather is nearly meaningless in the order guide. Then you must add a-pillar leather, b-pillar leather, leather rear console, leather this and leather that. Porsche, unlike other highline car mfrs, makes it ridiculous and over priced, but it is very nice once done.

ATX

This is my first post, thought I could help you on the full leather piece.

Just purchased a 2009 CS with Black Full Leather (list price for the option was $3655). Your dealer (assuming you live in Austin given your name) has a full leather Cayenne Turbo on the sales floor which will give you an idea of what you are looking to purchase. I went through the same thing that you are going through and ultimately found a car that had all of the options I was looking for and decided to pay the price for the full leather (vent seats are a must in Texas, trust me)...... Happy to share more details if you want them.

I agree with Eric, the cost is pretty silly but definitely sets the car apart from the "standard leather" look that I had on my previous car. I will upload pictures of the car as soon as I have time.

Edgy01

One bit of caution that I got from my salesman,--ventilated seats have all those perforations which can result in weaker leather,--and faster wear of the seat leather over time. As this option is new to the MY09 cars time will only tell whether the factory wear testing will prove them capable of lasting many years.

stevepow

I had them for 3 years in my 550i and they held up perfectly. My impression is, and I have no real proof, that the seats in the 911 are a little nicer leather than the BMW - at least they look and feel slightly more substantial. As you say, time will tell, but the comfort factor is so high, the risk seems worth it.

Carrera GT

Ventilated looks different than standard full leather.
The perforations look almost "white" compared to the tone/tint of the leather.
Full leather looks great but expect some tone differences across the given cut of hide.
In cocoa, the vents are noticeable. After only two weeks, they're no longer significant or important when I clean the car.
Getting the "rear center console" in full leather is an important upgrade (added cost) to full leather. The plain black/brown plastic detracts from the leather.

DerekAustinTexas

Thanks all. After some more research, and visiting that Cayenne at the dealer here, i have decided to go with the standard leather with the rear console in leather. I think with the perforations in the ventilated seats any difference will not be that noticeable, and I do not mind at all the way the vinyl looks on the bolsters or in the back seats. Car is ordered. December build date.

ATX

Glad it worked out, congratulations on ordering it!