Alcantera in a convertible?
 

Hi guys, I am thinking about throwing on some GT3 replica seats in the 986. Just wondering what you guys think of using Alcantera in a convertible? Will the leather be fairly resistant to dust and grime or should I stick with regular leather? Price will be the same so my options are either:

full leather
leather with only the seat inserts in Alcantera
full Alcantera

What are your recommendations? If I go the Alcantera route I will most likely reupholster more pieces with the same as well. Or is this a bad idea and I should just stick with regular leather so that its easier to wipe clean etc?

FYI there is a great group buy over at 6speed and I have personally sat and looked at the seats this weekend. $900 for FRP and $1200 for CF if the group buy minimum is met! I am not affiliated but just wanted to pass on a great deal.

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/group-buys/163517-gt3-rep-seats-groupbuy.html

Concern about durability didn't stop me. I had my originals seats redone with Alcantara inserts - and I also did other trim pieces. Alcantara is a synthetic - not real leather - and from what I can gather, it wears about as well as the original upholstery. Just be aware that it has a suede-like nap, so from certain angles it can sometimes look like you have a stain, but wiping your hand over it makes it disappear.

Sorry for the big image - I'm still trying to sort out a new camera.

http://i44.tinypic.com/53lrpw.jpg

+1 on Alcantera on seats. Wasn't sure about getting a convertible with a black interior due to the extra heat. But the Alcantera inserts on my seats do a good job of staying cool (more so than leather).

Not so sure about the durability on the steering wheel. We'll see how it goes but I wouldn't recommend it at this point.

That interior looks great! Any recommended shops that do that type of work? Recovering in Alcantera doesn't seem to be that difficult, but having the custom stitching done is another thing.

Also is it agreed that I should get full Alcantera leather on the seats or perhaps leather with Alcantera inserts?

Very nice interior. I wasn't aware Alcantara was a synthetic...learn something new each day!

Plastic interior in a Porsche; can you imagine that?

Angman,
Just a heads up on those replica seats. Authentic Porsche GT3 seats go through rigorous safety and crash testing to meet Euro and USA standards. If you get in a serious wreck Porsche has your back... literally.

Those Replica GT3 seats on 6spd... No safety testing whatsoever.
Choose wisely my friend.

Thanks Topless, I appreciate your concern and have considered the safety concerns as well. I have seen and tried the seats out and they seem to be very well made. I won't be racing or tracking the car either so I am confortable with installing them in my car. These seats can probably pass approval but I am guessing the costs associated would cause them to be too expensive for their target market.

Anyway, back to the topic. Leather with Alcantera inserts or full Alcantera? The GB only needs 3 more participants so I will need to make a decision fairly quick.

You are right. Safety testing is expensive and would surely cause the seat price to go up. The replicas look good and might be as safe, we just don't know. I looked hard at those seats but the absence of testing was a deal breaker for me.

Alcantara or leather? I love the feel of Alcantara but probably would still put leather in the drop top. Ease of maintenance and durability issues.

I am wanting the full Alcantera as it is the better deal since it's the same price as leather but I think the best option is probably to go with leather with Alcantera inserts. The inserts can also be switched up with different colours if additional inserts are bought ($150 each).