F8 Interior Carbon Fiber: Gloss or Matt?

It wasn't the price for matte that put me off. The finish gave it a confused look insofar as what material it actually was (as in, is it plastic or is it??? ...ah ok I finally got it; it's unfinished CF ...sooo, should be cheaper?). It isn't bad or anything but for what it is it's definitely over-rated (visually). Not too many would argue that - other than those who (thought) they were buying into some sort of exclusivity over and above the next guy.

It seems to be a clear case of "charge a bit extra for something and it must be better", but guess what it really isn't. In the pursuit of an edgy and/or bit more of a unique look instead of offering the run of the mill gloss CF (which clearly works) the end result of the matte just didn't seem to hit the intended spot (dammit), so they, (Ferrari) must of thought heck let's just put higher price on it and see what TF happens - I mean what have we got to lose? So they did. And, do you blame them? I mean how good can it be getting paid more for dealing up less? Not often opportunities like this come along! And, if they buy into it, it's a win win!

 

If you want to save weight, avoid Mexican food the night before and it should be the same effect.

 

Eliminating the high gloss finish on the CF will result in a weight reduction of almost 2 ounces. Similiar result by shaving, getting a haircut and clipping your nails prior to driving. Better still, leave your cell phone or watch at home and for those high rollers, do not bring your wallet into the car. When tracking, fast the day before and do a cleanse.

 

This ones a $10K haircut and one you'll wonder about for some time to come. But look at the bright side - you lost 2 ounces.

 

Matte finish is an option on my pista and think it’s a nice change from the gloss (on my others) - both options are nice-

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I thought it was the other way around?

 

Interestingly, the Senna came standard with satin finish carbon. I spent a small fortune to switch everything to gloss and have zero regrets.

That said, I find the mix of satin and gloss on the interior doors panels of the SF90 with AF pack to be a nice contrasting touch.

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Ha! True

 

Gloss simply looks better and is better for resale, if that is a priority.

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Here's matte CF in the F8: Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

There’s a dash piece around the instrument cluster offered in carbon fiber for the Pista, but is only available in a matte finish. Glossy carbon is N/A. Thought that was interesting.

 

There is also color carbon to choose from—blue, red, yellow and even green.

Weight savings is something that Ferrari is always mindful about. Titanium lug bolts? I never went in for that but many do.

Alcantara? Personally I always preferred a leather wrapper, even if it is slightly heavier. But Alcantara has its fans.

Carbon rims and undertrays are other pricy options.

And the SF90 has titanium springs.

 

I wanted and specced gloss carbon in my Pista but Ferrari made it matte and made me pay for it. Maybe I’m rationalizing but it is growing on me. It seems to match with the alcantara to my eyes.


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I'm pretty sure the matte finish CF is not unfinished CF. I think it is similar to matte finish paint, the difference is in the clear coat. They charge extra because they can.

 

The carbon fiber options seen in the street cars came from Ferrari’s racing traditions. Obviously in racing weight savings is extremely important. So carbon is used extensively both on exterior and the interior of the race cars. Most of the interior carbon had a mare finish rather than gloss. The gloss finish that appears in the street cars was done for aesthetics. On the more track-focused models Ferrari wants the cars to be closer to the race cars, so using matte carbon is again a nod to that tradition. If you follow IMSA just look at the interiors of those cars. Cloth door pulls, roll up windows, no carpet or sound insulation, carbon seat backs are all part of that effort.

Speaking about saving an ounce, Porsche substituted a sticker on the front bonnet of their race inspired models instead of the usual plastic badge.

 

With Ferrari you could go for painted shields instead of the enamel ones - it's not lighter than having no shields at all though, but your wallet definitely is afterwards

 

Some swear by the painted ones. They are a bit larger and can look more proportional on larger fenders. Also if you won’t have to worry about the possible misfortune of returning to your car only to find that some thief has prised them off.

 

Where’s the data for that comment? I think it’s all a matter of taste. Some don’t mind scratching their gloss CF areas when cleaning it, some do. Some like the shine some don’t. The weight argument is also not a sound. My two cents, I like the matte finish.


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I’ve gloss in the 488 but opted for matt in the pista
The overall interior theme strongly influenced my decision.
The photo does not accurately demonstrate the difference between the two materials, but in person I felt the matt made for a more unified design scheme. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Costs are actually dearer with matt composites

 

No the matt is in the epoxy resin itself.

Might not worry anyone who are holding their cars for a few years but gloss carbon will yellow. Fact. Its an Epoxy. But hey its what you like.

 

If you have the race seats they will be gloss, I would use gloss carbon then.

 

Also the only standard carbon part the insert the length o f the dash is carbon. Available in matt also .

Im trying to find out if they can paint it the same Grigio Canna di fucile as the dash, so as to eliminate all / any carbon.

FYI the standard aluminium color of the dash parts is grigio nart.