Alutex trim options

I think some form of black alternative would be good. The standard silver, to my eye, cheapens the whole interior and is the only element which looks and feels plasticky.

 

Somewhat bizarrely it's actually real aluminium that is painted (pic courtesy of Arthomobiles)
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Yes, perhaps real CF was created as an engineering material when it comes to a car's technical structure, but let's face it, used on a car's interior such as the dash or center console (or for that matter as it is ordered for many of the current exterior options), I think we can all agree it's intended purpose is for aesthetics (ie:decoration).

 

Yes, we can. But, it came about as an engineering material. It wasn't created only for the purpose of decoration -- which this materials appears to be.

And, adding CF options will reduce the weight of the car. If you specify all the CF parts available in a Spider, you get about the same weight as a coupe without CF.

However it should be remembered -- the CF racing seats are not automated and do not have the heavy motors and frames found on electric seats. This saves weight just beyond the material change alone.

My point is, Alutex is artificial looking and that's why I don't like it. Then again, I don't like Alcantara because it's fake suede.

 

I'm with you 100%.

 

That's been out forever and it is essentially aluminum coating over glass fiber.

It is actually very prone to yellowing and UV damage and also is heavier and not as strong as carbon fiber.

It's a different option and they come standard on the Lexus ISF.

Personally think it looks terrible and cheap

 

Was trying to think of where I had seen it before! Not really to my taste, its a bit too bright. Would be interesting to see a 458 interior with matt carbon....

 

I saw a red GTO in red carbon and I was shocked how much I liked it. I think it looks terrible in photographs but in person it's fantastic. I have no idea what it costs though.

Anyone know what alutex costs vs CF?

 

I think red carbon could look very nice, must be red though not maroon as I have seen on one GTO. The great thing about Ferrari interiors is with the options availible one can configure something that changes the whole character of the interior.

 

I prefer cf to alutex, though alutex offers plethora of patterns anywhere from denim, to chain-link, to razor-wire.

 

How does this stuff rate when it comes to weight and strength? Is it purely aesthetic or is there a possibility it can be used in construction?

 

"Alutex" is just a seemingly marketing name for Hexcel's texalium. Some more info here. I've played around it w/ it for years. It has its purpose, depending on the application.

Use of dyes in the gel-coat & tinted clear-coats can be employed to achieve desirable hues in the finish of woven composites for aesthetic purposes.

There's a massive, mega, mondo sized idea I have that will be a very, very lucrative endeavor. Anyone wanna partner up, help w/ the patent, and pitch it to the industry?

 

As its been stated a few times, silver carbon is just 'aluminized' nylon. We've done silver for many years for some German tuners and the occasional customer but I avoid stocking or selling it. The silver is just 'SOOOOO BRIGHTTTTTT' that I find it very garish. It really is almost like chrome. A little goes a long way. We don't really even feature it on our website. Usually when we get a call from someone asking for it, they take very little convincing to 'Go Black'. I think the silver looks more appropriate in Subaru WRXs.

I know here in the 458 section, whenever someone says "help me configure, should I get this?", it's been a running battle of "its your car, get what you want" vs "configure for resale". As I'm in the business of selling aftermarket customization, I have to side with "it's your car"! That being said, a silver CF interior is going to limit your resale market pretty severely.

As for the colored carbons, there are many ways to achieve it. Too many to go into late on a Sunday night... but one cool way that we do do a bit of for steering wheels is tint the clear coat on the silver carbon. This allows you to see the "carbon weave" in the color you want. For a highlight on the wheels, I think it's a neat detail. To do an entire 458 interior in it... let's just say I'd insist on a BIG non-refundable deposit! Attached are a few examples. For the light blue ring, I included a pic of the same paint when used as a solid. You can also notice with the light blue ring, due to it being a two stage metallic, the weave is almost obscured.

Hope I didn't post too many pics.
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I think it looks great . An alternative to the usual black carbon look. Although I never understand why fiber materials like this is so expensive .

 

Thank you for the nice clear picture. I've been looking everywhere for pics with an Alutex interior. My dealer had no clue and he's never seen one before.
Do you happen to have any pictures of the dashboard with Alutex?
I'm trying to configure a Spider and I think the Alutex may go well with Nero.

 

I too am thinking of a Nero seat with red stitching and utilizing the Alumi product as a relief. Sorry I find the normal optioned 458 to be a bit boring in its predictability.

Black racing seats with red stitching, black carpets, Alumitex total trim out. Put it in the configurator and see how great it looks!

Mark

 

How many 458 spiders have Alutex? so about a year and a half ago I purchased a 458 spider that had all Alutex interior trim pieces. Since having the car I have met no one that even knew what that material was and everyone I’ve asked that’s even worked for FERRARI has never seen it in person. so I’m asking the FERRARI check community if they can help me figure out how many cars respect with this material. My 458 spider is a 2015 with exterior color Bianco Avus. The interior leather is Carta Da Zucchero