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Nugget said:
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STRADALE said:
I disagree with you entirely.



Actually, we don't really disagree much at all. Let me clarify...

I didn't for a moment intend to say that I thought someone was being foolish by adding carbon fiber trim pieces in their car. Like you, I relish the wealth of options and customizations that Porsche offers when configuring a car and I think it's absolutely brilliant that such a broad range of styles and options emerge from the Porsche factory.

In a way, I think this is partly because Porsches are being made in larger numbers and the customer base wants a way to achieve a higher degree of exclusivity in their vehicle, but that doesn't really distract from the main point that tasteful customization is great for all involved.

My comment was merely to offer my interpretation of what I believe Dan was implying when he called the carbon fiber interior pieces "plastic" and for me, at least, this is precisely where I trip over that niggling word "tasteful" above.

Here's where we take a detour off into my personal preference, and it's probably going to be a bit scrolly...

Mazda used to have a great slogan for their Miata: "Everything you want in a sports car and nothing you don't" and I think it does a great job embodying my perspective on "fake" carbon fiber interior bits. I adore carbon fiber -- it's a phenomenal material. When automakers utilize carbon fiber to construct parts which would otherwise be metal and much heavier it's a triumph of engineering and only serves to make a better car. It's great, great stuff and (as you say) pretty cool to look at. The carbon fiber GT3 seats are pretty freakin' awesome.

However -- I completely balk when I see carbon fiber employed as decoration. It feels sort of dishonest and gratuitous to me. I reminds me of those fake, cosmetic side grills on my old M Roadster that didn't actually do anything. It reminds me of a giant wing on the back of a front wheel drive car that doesn't need any rear downforce. It reminds me of phony boost gauges mounted on the a pillar of a normally-aspirated car. To me, carbon fiber interior is a lot like this and nothing at all like this.

You say you dislike the stock plastic pieces? Well, to my eyes the carbon fiber trim is just shiny plastic. The "carbon fiber" serves no function and that alone turns it ugly in my mind.

Take the rear wing on a GT3-RS -- it's a gorgeous, vulgar thing that fits perfectly with the overall car. Pure car porn, if you ask me (and I realize that nobody actually asked me ) Now imagine taking that same wing, building it out of heavier materials, and bolting it on to the back a Maserati. It would look ridiculous. It would look silly. It would look dishonest and out of place. That's my reaction when I see the carbon fiber veneer interior trim pieces in a car. It encourages me to call it "fake" or "plastic" to highlight the fact that it's not functional and they're not necessary. I'd hate to think that anyone out there misunderstands and thinks that they're getting true carbon fiber, or that there's any sort of weight savings that can be achieved with that sort of thing. When you allude to "...as in what the majority of construction on all Formula 1 cars...." you're fostering that suspension of disbelief. You're implying that there's somehow a relationship between a weight-reduced chassis and a plastic gear shift knob with a veneer of carbon fiber glued to it.

If you like the way it looks, great -- fill your car with veneer. It's certainly no crazier than the guys who go for "natural leather ashtray lining" or "suspension bushings painted to exterior color". It's your cash and you're the one who needs to love and enjoy the car. There's no accounting for taste.

I'm just offering up the counter viewpoint, although I recognize there's nothing productive to come from debating style.

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Now if Porsche only made the back of the adaptive sport seats in Carbon Fiber like the racing seats they just came out w/ on the GT2 I'd be all set.



Calling up Suncoast and buying a set of lightweight GT2 racing seats: huge win.

Gluing carbon fiber wallpaper to the back of a set of sport adaptive seats: ewwwww.

Even if it looked exactly the same, one would thrill me and one would repulse me. I guess that's the crux of my point, right there.




Geez, I thought I wrote novels.. LoL!! I guess we can agree to disagree. But you didnt answer my question - What's in your 911? If you had some sort of lightweight, stronger than the stock plastic material then I guess I'd consider it better than the avialable Carbon Fiber pieces from Porsche but if it's just the stock plastic, like I said IMO the Carbon Fiber option pieces are still a lot nicer. And much nicer than painting them exterior colors etc. You make it sound like the Carbon Fiber options are just painted on to look like Carbon Fiber which they are not, it's still real Carbon Fiber. So if the manufacturing process were different it would make all the sense to you in the world. Okay, I get it. Not really but whatever. No but I do, you want to split hairs between carbon fiber used as a functional element vs one that is used for cosmetic purposes. The cosmetic carbon fiber would be the good type if it was used to make a part lighter or stronger but when it's used strictly as an aesthetic material its bad! So what does that mean for the aluminum options, real or otherwise? Honestly I think you're taking your theories too seriously. I mean there's lots of CF pieces in the high performance cars above that could probably just as easily been regular plastic but it's sometimes it's CF for cosmetic purposes. It's done because the stuff looks cool. IMO it gives the turbo's interior a much sportier, high tech look, sure it's expensive but imo the look is worth it.

Putting in Carbon Fiber GT2 seats in a Turbo Cabrio is like putting an elevator in an outhouse it just doesnt belong. IMO racing seats like the Carbon Fiber ones in the GT2 are suitable for a GT2 or even GT3 but we all know the Turbo Cabrio isn't that type of car. I guess I'd feel the same way about that, as you feel about Porsche's Carbon Fiber.

But I agree, there's no "accounting for taste". It's like when I see Rosso Corsa colored 997's. I guess everyone has their own personal preferences. Just funnin w/ you.