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I cancelled my black aluminum trim because the pics were all over the board. If I could have been sure it was dark black I would have kept it. I cancelled thinking its this titanium/greyish trim because I felt it clashed too much between the leather and alcantara.
In general Porsche really needs to step up their configurator. Look at how bad all of the paint samples look...nothing like real life.
I cancelled my black aluminum trim because the pics were all over the board. If I could have been sure it was dark black I would have kept it. I cancelled thinking its this titanium/greyish trim because I felt it clashed too much between the leather and alcantara.
In general Porsche really needs to step up their configurator. Look at how bad all of the paint samples look...nothing like real life.
I agree about the irritation around the confusion, but complaining about the configurator? Porsche's 3D configurator is far and away the best and most granular I've ever seen, which is especially impressive considering all of the tiny things you can customize on their cars. Sure it's not perfect (inability to zoom while viewing the interior unless you find a close-up button for an option is a gripe of mine), but it's still head and shoulders above the rest.
Ok, this dealer gallery has 100% certain black aluminum trim on a 981 GTS with the standard GT4 leather interior, shot from multiple angles. Too much black for me with that interior:
I saw black aluminum and black uprights today in person on a local GT4. I'm happy that I chose both. The trim is not very dark, but looks really nice. MUCH nicer than anything stock. And the uprights didn't look cheap to me. Here is the car:
Well that's just it. Do we know that the GT4's darker aluminum trim is different from other 981s, or even other 991s? It's called black aluminum just like those other models, not smoked/tinted/dark/anthracite, etc, so the implicit assumption has been that the GT4's trim is no different. But the first photos in this thread indicated otherwise -- and now other photos seem to contradict that, or it's all a trick of the light.
GT4 offers only "ANTHRACITE", not "black" aluminium!!! Look at the brochure..... Don't think anthracite is offered in other 981s.
GT4 offers only "ANTHRACITE", not "black" aluminium!!! Look at the brochure..... Don't think anthracite is offered in other 981s.
On the US configurator it's called black aluminum. Same on this US brochure: http://files1.porsche.com/filestore....d-001a64c55f5c. In fact the word anthracite doesn't appear anywhere in that PDF. Maybe you were thinking of the word "anodized"?
And even if you'd been right, three exclamation points? Really?
Ok, this dealer gallery has 100% certain black aluminum trim on a 981 GTS with the standard GT4 leather interior, shot from multiple angles. Too much black for me with that interior:
I OTOH wish it was that dark, but unfortunately I don't think the GT4 one is same as the one on the GTS.
In the configurator, the GTS option is called - "Brushed Aluminum Interior Package in Black" while the GT4 one is called - "Anodized Black Brushed Aluminum". The GTS option is also much more pricey - $1035+ $300(for center console) vs $325 for the GT4 option.
I OTOH wish it was that dark, but unfortunately I don't think the GT4 one is same as the one on the GTS.
In the configurator, the GTS option is called - "Brushed Aluminum Interior Package in Black" while the GT4 one is called - "Anodized Black Brushed Aluminum". The GTS option is also much more pricey - $1035+ $300(for center console) vs $325 for the GT4 option.
Even in the configurator, GT4 looks lighter.
GTS
GT4
I actually like the look of the lighter one in the GT4.
It gives the interior a little contrast which I prefer.
In fact I like the look of the standard aluminum the best, as it breaks up the monotonous black.
Ok, this dealer gallery has 100% certain black aluminum trim on a 981 GTS with the standard GT4 leather interior, shot from multiple angles. Too much black for me with that interior:
Interesting. I test drove this very car before my order was locked. I drove it mostly to test the 18 way seats, but was pleased to see it also had the dark AL trim. I already had the dark AL option for my build so I kept it based on this car.
Not sure what to think if the GT4 turns out to be a be a different shade. Guess I'll find out in a few weeks.
I OTOH wish it was that dark, but unfortunately I don't think the GT4 one is same as the one on the GTS.
In the configurator, the GTS option is called - "Brushed Aluminum Interior Package in Black" while the GT4 one is called - "Anodized Black Brushed Aluminum". The GTS option is also much more pricey - $1035+ $300(for center console) vs $325 for the GT4 option.
Even in the configurator, GT4 looks lighter.
GTS
GT4
The price difference can be explained by the fact that the base trim on the GTS is plastic, whereas the GT4 starts with aluminum. The wording difference is interesting, but not necessarily relevant since it could just be because the GT4 option includes the center console and the GTS doesn't. The configurator visual difference is definitely interesting (and the GT4 version looks roughly the shade of the base plastic trim from other 981s that isn't available on the GT4), but again I'm not sure that's indicative of a real world difference. I'd be surprised if Porsche created a brand new type of black aluminum given that it's not a model-exclusive standard trim, no other trim options are unique to this car, and the same interior is available on the GTS, so it's not as if interior design changes mandated a new trim option -- but I guess we're back to needing high-quality photos in soft, mild lighting from a GT4 with this option in order to put this to rest. Ugh....
I would actually consider the black aluminum if it was the lighter variety so long as there was still some contrast, but I definitely don't want the jarringly dark option, so I'm hoping this gets resolved conclusively before my order locks.
That GT4 configurator pic is 100% accurate to what I saw on a GT4 in person yesterday (ref the dark aluminum). It looks fantastic in person and much lighter than in a Carrera GTS.
I agree about the irritation around the confusion, but complaining about the configurator? Porsche's 3D configurator is far and away the best and most granular I've ever seen, which is especially impressive considering all of the tiny things you can customize on their cars. Sure it's not perfect (inability to zoom while viewing the interior unless you find a close-up button for an option is a gripe of mine), but it's still head and shoulders above the rest.
Ah yes, that configurator is horrible. I used it forever as well because the idea of installing a plugin just aggravated me, but once I did I was amazed. It seems to even use GPU acceleration since my laptop's fans always spin up when I have it running, and if you change the background to the outdoor rather than studio setting it even renders the metallic paint fleck. I was even able to use FRAPS to record the exterior video you can trigger.