Lamborghini Uses Carbon-Fiber Seats in Latest Roadster
6/1/2012
The new Lamborghini Aventador J roadster not only uses carbon-fiber composites throughout the car, but also features a new interior upholstery material called CarbonSkin. (Source: Lamborghini)
Good question, bobjengr. It's not clear from the description, but it sounded like the carbon skin seat covering material is applied to or laid on top of the separate forged composite seat structures, in a manner parallel to that of leather. If that's the case, I'd think replacement costs might be similar to leather.
I wonder what the replacement costs would be?I agree completely that leather seats would be preferable to carbon fiber but I bet replacing the carbon fiber seats would be considerably less expensive than replacing the leather seats—especially if the carbon is molded.I would love to know if this is true.It appears also that carbon fiber would be much easier to clean than leather.( Shows you how very few high-priced cars I have had with leather seats. ) At any rate—just a thought.
Rick, thanks for the input about the trend in leather replacement car seat materials. Personally, I also prefer the feel of leather and other natural materials to synthetic materials, whether it's on my car seat, my couch or my clothes. Although I would not prefer to drive a Cadillac.
Lamborghini is pushing the envelope. They make sports cars not sporty cars. There is a basic difference. These cars are the pinnacle of go-fast machines, not cushy sunday driver stuff. If you want living room furniture in your car then drive a Cadillac. Incidently the Lambo shown costs considerably more than $100,000.
I think it may be a trend (or maybe fad) for exotic sports cars to one-up each other in the use of Carbon-Fiber. I've seen some new standard passenger cars clouting their use of synthetic leather seats which are lighter, less expensive and more durable than leather (they say)...the new Toyota Prius is one ("SofTex" material).
For my cars, I much prefer leather...and I own two cars that are equipped with leather seats. The leather seats just feel more comfortable and luxurious to me. I also like leather-wrapped steering wheels. My wife also prefers leather...standard in her Acura TSX. Our three adult kids-cars have cloth seats, being regular 4-door economy cars for college and work commuting. For our home, we prefer cloth-type seating for couches and such.
I have friends who refer cloth fabric seats, mostly those who spend long hours driving to and from work. They like cloth because it breaths and does not get sticky against skin like leather.
Jack, funny you should mention that--the seats look really uncomfortable to me, too. Not because of the carbon skin surface treatment--which supposedly feels like leather--but because of the forged composite seat material. It somehow looks hard, not soft. But maybe that;'s just the photo.
Thinking_J, the information from Lamborghini did not reveal the cost of the carbon fiber cloth, although it did say that leather costs more and weighs twice as much. Maybe that's hype, maybe not. It's hard to tell at this point, since there's only one of this model being built.
I MUCH prefer numerous new cloth alternatives to leather in automotive environment.
There are several matte finished cloths that breath better, wear better and grip better (hate sliding around while cornering) than any leather.
Currrently have "high end" leather seating in newer car.. I prefer the cloth used on our old mini-van. Better feel, Better wear, Better looking.
In the "old" days.. leather was more durable option. Those days are gone. But is still be hyped as "high end" material in autos.
As to tricky new carbon fiber based cloth.. Why do we assume it is more expensive to make? Nothing in the article indicated it's cost. It may actually be cheaper than some alternative expensively treated leather. I doubt it will be cheaply sold in this car's intended market... even if it was very cheap to acquire.
If it feels good, wears better.. great. And , it just may introduce additional improvements in seemingly un-related areas... all good.
But.. if it doesn't perform better .. then, yes, it is just hype for the car.
Please give me leather instead!! Plastic coated CF fabric? Talk about hype.
Leather is really cheap now as so many cows getting eaten there is a huge surplus of leather. And can be had in light weights too like fine glove leather.
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