Seats

I can play contortionist but asking a passenger to do so may seem a tad stern and stiff? The passenger seldom cares.

 

Agree on leather being soft on F. My ride before my California and 458 was a 911 PDK and the German leather held up better (perceived quality not as baby soft). Before the 458, I had a California and the leather seats were very soft. No wear sign but the middle of the buttock seat parts are all crinkled up. The wear pattern shows in the middle only after 1000 km. In the video of the yellow 430, the same area was also worn so it looks like you were right. It happens to 430, 458 and all in the same wear and tear area of entry and exit. The stitchings get worn too.

Perhaps that's why Macca goes the other way, standard is only "TECHNICAL FABRIC" whatever that means... or as they coined the term "environmentally friendly leather" (basically man-made leather) so they are very strong and sturdy. I also think it's a way to reduce costs as man-made leather, while durable, is pretty much vinyl and just a cost reduction way to go about making a car. Imagine if you have alcantara seats... perhaps will have to somehow find someone to fix it.

 

id also add that german leather does not wrinkle up ! , my merc has over 30k miles and still feels brand new !

 

Sounds like the game Twister to me.

We need a video!

 

agree but I prefer Italian leather for nappa softness, only if my 458's leather can feel soft yet hold up well like my Merc SUV. 5 years into service, almost no wear except a little dirt.

However, Ferrari's interior is superb craftsmanship and quality and even accessories like my carpets look very very special and top notch... only that they don't hold up as well as the practical Germans. I have almost 1800 km on my 458 it's a 2011 Jan's delivery, 11 months old yet wear and tear. Check below out, I love these carbon matts to go with my carbon interior... but look at them... Normal carpet way more practical but these go really well with CF centre and cockpit... only that 3 uses the wear shows. Anybody bought these carbon matts? A px to pay to step on Carbon.
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Problem is Ferrari leather is surface dyed rather than Vat dyed. Also due to the " green" movement todays dyes are water soluble thus do not take the surface punishment of old surface dyed. One good aspect of water soluble dyes however is they are easier to repair and match.

D0cf

 

It really all comes down to how you get into your seats. I have a customer with a 430, and he must be approaching about 50,000 miles on it by now. His interior looks like the day I delivered the car new to him. He has never had to have the bolsters redyed - he just takes the proper care getting into the car.

 

Slightly different topic, but still on 'seats':

As I ordered the racing seats I wish somebody here who has them in the car could tell me if the lumbar-support is good or not.

I'm 192 cm tall and in the past sometimes had trouble with my lower back on longer trips ('hanging through' - sorry, not my native language) while in other cars.

Any info ? Thanks !

Cheers,
Ulli

 

Ulli,

At about 6 foot 2 inches, give or take a metric here or there, you will probably need to hear from some of our bigger 458 owners, which is not me

I am only 5'7'' tall and 165 lbs, so take this with a grain of salt, but I have put 2,400 miles on the car since April and I have several longer trips and 7 all day track days "under my belt". Sorry English is my first language

Anyway, so far I have enjoyed the Race Seats each and every time of I have sat in them, with no noticeable fatigue. The Race Seats fit my body and support my legs and back perfectly.

However, having said that, my preception may be clouded by the fact that I get an adrenaline rush every time I drive the 458

 

That's amazing! Are they scratched or just dirty?

 

Ferrari have been surface dyeing their leather for years. Quality has never been as good as Merc and Porsche.

 

S&T,
thanks for the reply.

I felt the race-seats were the best ones offered, especially as far as side stability is concerned (no moving while in sharp corners). The problem with the lower back I mentioned usually hits me when two conditions are given:
1) long trip
2) bad seat (or bad seat adjustment !)

Guess I picked the right seats then. Can't wait to actually feel them on my break-in-trip which will probably lead me to northern Italy or the french alps.

Cheers and enjoy Your car in good health !
Ulli

 

Not sure if this is available where you live, but this really helped my wife with her lower back pain. Put it in a pillow case or cover it with something, so it doesn't mess up the seat.

http://www.backjoy.com

 

I am 6 feet 2 and the racing seats are fantastic. They are much better than the Daytona seats I had in my 430. Enjoy.

 

deppi0, they look marvelous with my carbon interior wheels and centre console and even look very good when brand new. However, the surfaces' coating get scratched and dirty easily. Scratch. I also had them on my California and they are well worth the money. Best to me if you like CF. It's made in Italy in the factory (supposedly). It's very grippy. I'd recommend it and would buy a new set after a year!

 

Pls further explain the difference re: Vat VS Surface dyed. Vat, I take it means dipping the whole hide in bucket and then spray painting it on a conveyor belt and Surface means spray dyed. I thought spray dyeing is more Corvette's style than VAT. I thought I saw the 6 episodes of the making of 458 and one section on the hide talked about laser cutting and all exact stitchings... thought it would be superior and more bespoke to others like Merc which is more focused on volume. So the surface dye is of lesser quality then.

 

Cal,the tech fabric is only the in the seat centres,like on the Scud.The side bolsters on all the seat options are still leather,i would say the wear rate is very similar to on a 911 after the 2300 miles ive done.So i would say its not as soft a leather as on the 458.Again the alcantara is just for the seat centres with leather sides.
At the end of the day its how careful you want to be on all these type of cars,i wonder how the lambo fairs??

 

Yes Ferrari seats have been surfaced dyed for years as even my Dino in 1972 was surface dyed, however in those days dyes were not Water soluble as they are today. You are correct as to MB etc better dying etc than Ferrari since God knows when. Why ?? I corrected my initial problem in the Dino by complete dis-assembly, hand picking Vat dyed leather from Scotland , getting rid of Italian stitching problems, reassembly and enjoying them from then on. The Daytona seats where an additional joke as they were Red with black inlays and the Italian dyes ( red) would bleed over my shirts and pants at 80 degrees. No, Ferrari did not cover it. I solved the problem in my 308, 512, and TR by using mouton seat covers . The 360 has not been a major problem, but if driven more I'm sure same old. same old.
Ferrari seats are like a beautiful painting, look , but don't touch . There certainly is and has been a quality issue. In the early days--Ferrari was not made for sitting, but for driving!

Docf

 

Can you refresh out memory and tell us how much the Carbon Mats for the 458 cost?

 

Yes with Vat dyed the entire hide is dyed through and through. Surface dyed is basically a surface coloring applied to the epidermis of the leather of the manufacturer's choice. The quality of the leather not only implies how the animal was housed during its life eg. barbed wire or not. Health of the animal as to quality of the epidermis etc. Water soluble dyes penetrate less effectively than aniline etc. and are less resistant to wear and tear, but are much less toxic to the environment. Analine= high incidence of bladder cancer for employees etc. When your seat wears two things are happening, the dye has been eroded off and at times the epidermis of the hide is eroded. Obviously, the second condition is worse than the first and repairs if large enough may involve replacement. Notice when a leather conditioner is used they always say try it first in an inconspicuous area as not all dyes are the same.

Unfortunately, Ferrari leathers, to my 40 yrs experience, have always had issues with their leathers and choice of interior accruements. Though beautiful and well stitched, they do not hold up as other marques. (Never seen a Daytona, Dino ever have an original mouse dash last beyond a year. Sticky materials currently on points of interest in modern cars, split seats at the apice corners Daytona, Dino etc.)

However, I have never bought a Ferrari for it's interior. What a beautiful performance machine that makes your blood boil!

docf

 

i c. so mp4-12c's technical fabric is still leather mostly. I remember leather was as much an option as the CCB.

Re: Lambo, I'd imagine should hold up better as AUDI's leather is more on the German durable side? 458 is definitely delicate. It will always come back no matter what you do and how careful you are with the seats. Normal wear and tear happen.

 

water soluble... um... does that mean if you spill mineral water on the seat color would bleed? or if you touch the leather with wet hands? Sweats?

 

My set MSRP 800 USD.

 

All leather driver's seats are suffering the same problem no matter what brand the car is. Especially when the climate is hot and humidity is high.

 

Hi,

At 7000kms I had part of the driver seat leather replaced under warranty on my Benz E-Coupe because my belt kept rubbing on the lumber support, that section that hugs your kidney area. This car was optioned with the AMG interior options. The leather that came in contact with the belt each day was well worn. Admittingly this is my daily driver.

in contrast, my 2006 430 Spider ( I picked it up 18months ago) had both seats in pristine condition. no creases, no fading, just like you would see it when new in the showroom.

in the 18 months that I owned it I always cleaned and conditioned it with the Ferarri Leather Cleaning Kit products and ALWAYS drove it with its seat cover. It helps in the long term to slide in with one hand supporting you on the chassis so you avoid as much as poss making contact in the key area where the belt makes contact with the side support.

I'll be practising these habits when the Italia arrives in Jan.

you do have put some effort in but it's worth it long term.