whats the benefit of this: ALCANTARA BOOT CARPET ($2,361.00) ALCANTARA INTERIOR CARPET ($2,409.00) ??? seems like i rather pay to delete them!
I have no idea why Alcantara is so expensive. It's not leather. It's a synthetic material. You would think that something actually made from cow skin would be more valuable. I've always felt the marketing of this product makes it seem like something special when in fact it's man-made. They take "Ultra-swede" and give it a fancy name and voila'-- it's worth more. I'm not opposed to people putting synthetic materials in their cars. But, I think it's fair for them to understand what it is. I think there's a lot of confusion or misinformation on what Alcantara is.
bdelp, is "ultra-Swede" like Caroline Winberg ? I'll bet that ultra-swede is softer than ultra-suede too !
I don't like alcantara. It feels weird, like nails-on-the-chalkboard weird to me. Hard to say, it doesn't feel bad or anything, it just feels odd. What about a leather boot?
Jeez, makes me appreciate Corvettes & Ford GTs more & of course the F40 that doesnt have any girlie carpets anywhere LOL
I like Alcantara for a roof material. However, seems to me like in the carpets (maybe not the boot) that it would be a PAIN to keep clean. Now, I realize not everyone DD's their Ferrari, but for me (during the summer) it would take the enjoyment out of it daily. J
haha i was thinking i would be one PIMPing mobile. I recall seeing cashmere carpets offered on a Rolls. I dont get it.
Things are just not the same anymore since the 'soft Corinthian Leather' guy passed on... CH not to mention Connolly Leather going T U...
The benefit is it's softer on your Ferrari branded luggage, and 2 - Ferrari makes a ton of money on the upgrade.
You seem to be confusing man-made with the product being cheap to produce and inferior - it might be, but not necessarily. R&D has to be paid for! I'm no expert on Alcantara but simply being 'man-made' isn't in itself a reason for something to be cheap - many man made products are designed to operate beyond the tolerances of the equivalent natural product or indeed meet a need not met by natural products. Carbon Fibre is a great example. My understanding is that Alcantara does operate beyond the envelope of the natural products. I assume it has weight benefits over the equivalent suede whilst giving better wear and grip properties. As to whether it is suitable for carpet, well I guess that's just down to personal taste - but then so much of specifying a Ferrari is down to personal taste that it's just another option on the list. I used to absolutely love the leather smell when getting into my 430 coupe - absolutely nothing like the rich smell of leather, no other car I've ever had even came close. The 16M I've now got doesn't have that wonderful leather smell, but strangely the Alcantara does smell very distinct and just as strong but in a different way with a similar engulfing feeling when you get in - magic!
No I'm not calling it inferior. What I'm calling it is "confusing". My point is that most people who order it have no idea what it is -- and the makers of Alcantara like to keep it that way. If they said it was 68% polyester and 32% urethane, do you think it would be nearly as sexy? It may be a really fine product. I'm not happy with the inference that it's a natural material when it isn't. And, I still don't understand why it's more expensive than leather.
I've not seen the reference to Alcantara being a natural product - Scud/16M brochure refers to it as 'Alcantara technical cloth'. I don't disagree with what you say but it is all down to semantics - if they started to call leather 'bovine skin that is removed from the carcass at abattoirs during the slaughter process and is then subjected to various wash and cleaning processes to remove blood and flesh' - then that might not be quite so 'sexy' either! Cost isn't really a function of man made or natural - can be simply a result of most cars are leather therefor anything non standard is an interruption to the build process and incurs a cost. I don't think leather is an expensive product, it is what is done with the material that makes it expensive.
I have Cioccolato Alcantara carpets in my California and after 3,000 miles I have never had to clean it apart from twice using a a brush and hoover. It is extremely easy to clean and to keep clean. I use my car as a DD. IMO it's easier to keep clean that a carpet....and looks 1000 better ;-) Is it worth the price? That's a totally other question but is USD 1,000 worth it for coloured calipers or 1,500 for the shields.....the list goes on with Ferrari as we all know
I think it looks great in the 458 with nero/nero in a dual leather/alcantara interior on racing seats.
It's lighter. Will make F all difference in any sort of road car, but it's the thought that matters .
It's more expensive because it's a special order... You know well that our "friends" at Ferrari will find every opportunity to make us pay a little or a lot more ;-)
+1 My car is loaded with Alcantara and I am extremely happy with it. I do track my car and the inserts do grip much better than leather and that is the reason it used in race cars. Very easy to take care of and looks so much better than the $1.99/yd carpet they use! Rb Image Unavailable, Please Login
its more expensive because...its Italian. Seriously, the stuff is Italian. Altantara is a brand name, there are other companies making basically the same stuff.
I thought I was told that I could not get the alcantara lower center console. I must have been mistaken. Do you find that the alcantara carpets scuff easily?
No, almost 4k miles and they look fantastic! The dealer wasn't sure if the lower was available but the general manager made it happen. It really came out nice! Rb
