any chance of a vinyl/leatherette interior?

[66Satellite]

What's going to be offered for 2005? Just cloth and leather? If you had the option would you rather have a high quality vinyl/leatherette or cloth? BWM has a pretty nice "leatherette"--seems like a much better and more "retro" way to go than cloth. Cheaper and easier to maintain than leather. Are all the show car interiors done in leather?

 

[Z28x]

Vinyl = NO

That would be getting a little too carried away with this retro thing

 

[66Satellite]

Vinyl = NO

That would be getting a little too carried away with this retro thing

Apparently a lot of people can't tell the difference between these new leatherettes and leather.

 

[Z28x]

Apparently a lot of people can't tell the difference between these new leatherettes and leather.

The new Microfiber cloth is nice, they have it in the STI and Malibu, a lot of new couches come in it too. It looks/feels like suade(sp?) but is a lot more durable and stain resistant.

I've never seen this leatherette, what car does it come in? Just no burn-your-ass-on-a-hot-day-Vinyl like back in the old days.

 

[nomuffler]

The new Microfiber cloth is nice, they have it in the STI and Malibu, a lot of new couches come in it too.

or recaros like the evo. (dreaming)

 

[66Satellite]

I've never seen this leatherette, what car does it come in? Just no burn-your-ass-on-a-hot-day-Vinyl like back in the old days.

BMW

 

[skywarp]

To stoke the fire. This could be the interior of the $20K V8 car.

 

[Z28x]

BMW

What model? all of them?

 

[65conv50]

It would be nice to have something between the cheap-looking cloth... and the expensive leather. But don't count on it. Carmakers don't want us to have much choice nowadays. Witness the nice cars that don't even have a manual trans option: SSR, T-Bird, etc. (I was actually going to look at that cool SSR until I found out that there is no trans option - slushpump only. Yecccchhhh!!!)

 

[Ron Jeremy]

They should bring back the vinyl seats in cars. If they can put them in the current rear seats of the Mustang, they can do it to the front seats. I wouldn't mind buying a Mustang that has vinyl seats. They don't need to be pampered as much like the leather and they don't crack like leather does.

 

[66Satellite]

What model? all of them?

At least the 3 series. I assume 5 series, too.

 

[65conv50]

It would all depend on the vinyl. The repro vinyl ("Pony" interior) in my '65 is nice. The vinyl in an Olds I had was junque: cracked and split promptly, the vinyl in my ElCamino was nice and soft after 16 years of hauling kids and their racers. There are many grades available.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I didn't know that there were many grades of vinyl that was used in older cars. I always thought that there was only one type of vinyl material that was the same for all cars. That's interesting. Maybe the grade of the plastic is different for each grade of vinyl.

 

[65conv50]

That's right, Ron. The old Naugahyde was firm and could be brittle. The stuff they put in my old ElCamino was glove-soft, and stayed that way. Really remarkable. It all depends on the grade and mix of plastic, and what kind of fabric they are using for backing.

 

[akhbhaat]

Apparently a lot of people can't tell the difference between these new leatherettes and leather.

'tis true. The leatherette (vinyl) in my E46 is softer and better looking than the supposed genuine leather in my old Mustang. And it looks like new with almost no maintenance.

A good deal of the BMW guys prefer the leatherette, or the alcantara synthetic suede that comes on the performance package 330s.