Alfa Romeo Forum banner

Carbon Fibre Dash on 159

Tags
carbon fibre
13K views 31 replies 14 participants last post by  Withy 
#1 ·
Hi

Has anyone got or seen the new carbon fibre dash that is available on the My2011 version of the Alfa 159 TI (it's a £600 extra)

There is a rather poor photo on the Alfa site but was wondering what the feeling was regarding this. Is it worth the extra or does it make the dash look cheap? That's my main worry...

Also keen to hear if the new "part leather" seats are an improvement or not? They look nicer with red stiching etc but again keen to know if anyone has personal experience and can make a comment...

Cheers
Brian
 
#2 ·
I saw it on a Brera. I think they look horrible and do not fit the otherwise elegant 159 interior. The black aluminium suits her better in my view.
The seats look great in my opinion, better then the current full leather. I did not see them live but saw a good quality picture of them.
 
G
#5 ·
Actually I could not disagree with you the most...!

The black aluminium /plastic looking material that happens to be black. I have had both the brushed alum as well as having the 100% wet Carbon Fiber and I can say empirically that the CF does infact look extremely good and actually does make the interior FAR more upmarket.

Everyone that has either seen the interior of my car or actually sat inside has stated that they both love it as well as it looking really classy. But I have to say that it really does depend on what current interior choice you have.

I mean the Wet-CF does not look good with some of the interiors that many have such as the blue and beige seats, dash etc etc. With the black, red, brown interior it looks nice with black and red being the best. I think the brushed Alum looks super with the other interior trim choices.

So at the end of the day it depends on what current interior trim you have. If you wish, look at some of the pics that have been posted on this site as well as perhaps others on here whom have the W-CF trim choice and try to gage it from there as well what you currently have with your trim specs.:thumbs:
 
G
#6 ·
As an addendum, I should day that such choices really are personal and everyones style is different. But one thing is true, CF is NEVER dated and has been used on everything from Lambo's, Porsches, Bugatti's etc etc and as bit of class endearing upgrades here and there tastefully, it can look the ants-pants.
Looking in the other direction though, some people have absolutely zero style and use it in extremely Kitch applications. Just have to look on any search engine and browse to see this, kinda scary really...the more money in some manner and the application of style and sense there of seems to go south.
 
G
#11 · (Edited)
:cool:Actually in real life...it looks better with a post clean. There is no comparison to any of the other contemporary dash finishes in terms of a spankingly classy looking finish to tease the optics - which is really surprising because CF rarely does look classy due to its various (sports racing) high-end background and mainly strategic use in racing...or the plathora of other uses that require its weight to strength ratio; other than say the Brushed Alum.:thumbs:

But again...thats just my opinion though, take with a sunday beer and some yorkshire pudding.




+1:D

This is a poor pic with my phone camera but here you go as a start:
 

Attachments

G
#10 · (Edited)
I would not go as far as to call CF a "Craze" per say, especially in the context of cars Nev...but I do agree with on the Alum looking spankingly good. The CF though is not plastic mate...its the real deal hence the costly cost. Now if they did the interior dash with the Aluminium ala Bugatti Veyron finish (albiet not in that price range) as well as the daimond stitching on all the front and rear side panels, that would add a bit more class to the whole show as well as the shift gate ending in a better quality finish rather than say the laterday rubber-esque finish, the world would turn so much smoothly.

paulmacs, I respect your opinion and as such, your not wrong at all because it is just that...your opinion. Its all a mixed bag of nuts really, so choose which ever one fits best in the palm of your hand #munch munch# he he he.

But in the flesh it looks so much better with the interior choice that is fitted in mine...I really dont say that though simply because its my car, but as an ID designer in the car industry with enough experience to make judgement calls based on material choices per T/Markets blah blah blah, I can safely say that I am not alone in that, especially when you look at the design house whose choice it was to impliment that material choice.

The only poor material choice I would say is lackiing would be the use of the cheap dodgy thin foam material for the roof lining and pillers...that really does make it look ugly. Please 'AR', try using some Alcantara, I mean the price we pay for these cars you would think that even low end Alcantara would be nice for that application on the more Top-Shelf versions.

Conversly the black plastic/ Faux interior Alum dash is really a let down in material and style choice, so that compunded with the cheap-**** foam, rubber peddels, tacky floor carpet and silver plastic faux alum door handals and surrounds really amps up the scream value post purchase.
 
G
#15 · (Edited)
I would not go as far as to call CF a "Craze" per say, especially in the context of cars Nev...but I do agree with on the Alum looking spankingly good. The CF though is not plastic mate...its the real deal hence the costly cost.
Hmm not convinced. Okay it's not "effect" CF but all CF is just resin really.
A glorified glassfibre.

But yours does seem to look better in your photos than all the others I've seen.

(Special Ii version? :confused:)


;)
 
#13 ·
Astro, sorry if this is a bit late in asking ( if you have already answered in a previous thread ) but why is your car a left hand drive when you live in Japan?? I thought you all drove on the correct side of the road as we do over in Blighty?!

Great looking interior by the way......Brera Ii as far as I remember? Lovely.
 
#14 ·
why is your car a left hand drive when you live in Japan
A lot of imported cars in Japan are LHD even Jags etc. I ask about this and the (almost) logical reply was that if it was RHD it might be mistaken for a Japanese made car!

Regarding the CF dash I saw one on a Brera at Palmers and I have to say I quite like it which surprised me, mind you the Brera had a matt grey paint job (did not look like a wrap to me) which was quite frankly yuk. :eek:
 
G
#18 ·
+1 but this is a more of a mundane reason/explanation given to you though, essentialy it is a status choice over the other local marques, alluding to wealth due to the fact that besides the GTR models and the Lexus, most J-Cars are not what one would call expensive in the cocntext of wealth and status, which many like to subtly parade.:cool:

Personally though, I find the whole conept of parading one wealth childish and stupid...who cares!?:confused:



With regards to the matt finish...oh man do I LOVE matt finishes. I would have EVERY car I bought from this day forth to be matt. Just the chore of pollishing is more than enough reason but uit just looks so damn sexy and different. Its really a lovely subtle treat for the eyes I think, but as you stated in your opinion though, it is not everyones choice of beer. The interior though does look spiffy however.

SORRY...triple post...
 
G
#16 · (Edited)
"Why is it LHD..."

There could be several reason and all of which I am not too sure as to whether I understand or not because, lets face it, Japan in all of its idiocyncrasies, are more than very quirky...and even with that being stated lightly, would perhaps just touch the surface. But it is not an easy question to answer with a simple snappy response without delving into a slew of other information both culturally and economically, driving that into socioeconomics, cultural psycology along with the collective unconsciousness blah blah blah. I really have no idea what I'm talking about here really he he he!

Yet, I guess if I could put simply, when it comes to the more up market cars such as some of the high end M Series BMW's, mercs and what not, (and in saying that, normal Alfas are considered only SLIGHTLY up market because they are unlike anything esle here aka "foreign") the Japanese Auto market has perceived that most and many J-folk actually think it is more prestigious to have a left hand drive car alluding to the fact that it has nothing to do with funcationality and safety. Facing facts though, driving a LHD car ON the LHSide is not what my senses endear at all with regards to safety...not one effing bit.
And it is only with the foreign cars here to my knowledge such as the Alfa II, which for all intensive purposes is all but designed as a RHD car, which it is in most countries where it is being sold...with the exception of Japan [this is not an American debut], and with that of ONLY the Italia Independant model. All other Alfas are RHD however, on purchasing the car of course this was not my intention and I could not give a rats *** if people think it is prestigious or not because to be honest, I think I am the only one who would mind. But the Japanese unconsciousness is very...well, conscious of others around them, so to say that conformism is the mainstream diet along with Nato and Sake, you could perhaps get a small glimps as to why they do this. If they are driving a LHD car and others observe this occurance, then they make assumptions as to the status, therefore the car must be expensive and that the owners are in some way wealthy - bringing social status. Which, with the exception of myself, this generally is true, hence the association with choice, its a status decision if I could put simply as that. And Japanese are experts in the art of gossiping while actualizing the form of appearing not to gossip, something I actually hate immensely.

But when I drive my car, I actually dislike the attention and mainly because it is different and LHD, many think it is a rich mans car...which, it is not(!), not even close! I think Bigfoot could add to this aswell in terms of the Japanese manner as he is more into the business side of things and is very much associated with many aspects to the above as well, because although I am in the Auto industry in IDesign, I am not a "car designer" per say [wish I was].

I just noticed I am babbling now...sorry, my bad!

But the only reason I chose the LHD is because there was no alternative for RHD and the II model came in only that destinction, so really it was either buy that or buy a pandemic-subaru STI Impreza. Mainly due to the missus not even contemplating me getting another high sports car such as a Porsche or what not after the GTR, she was just simply way too scared of it...and perhaps a little bit of me IN it as well?? Not sure.

Also Japanese people of course know the difference between domestic and imported models, they are not stupid or ignorant to what is out there, they are just zenophobic of such choices and prefere to trust domestic with the exception of that small niche market of people who actually think for themselves and choose based on what they want, not what is socially deemed necessary or proper.
 
#26 ·
#23 ·
Got a 159ti with the aluminium because it was love at first sight for me with the interior. Always prefered the ti aluminium to the silver on the lusso BUT I've got to say Davey Saxo it looks pretty damn good what you've done with the carbon effect. How much did it cost you please?
 
#24 ·
I bought the interior panels second hand from Wynne71 for about £30 and bought a sheet of 3M Dinoc Carbon fibre vinyl for about £30. I confess to doing a bit of a rush job, but from start to finish it took about 2 days which included removing the airbag and replacing the steering wheel panel.
 
#25 ·
Would love to see a whole interior shot Dave, see it with steering wheel and dash, the whole effect as it were.
Current photos look great.
Do you have a black leather interior? Bet the CF sets it off a treat.
 
#31 ·
I had CF "effect" in my 156 selespeed, it looked great, but it felt cheap - hows this version? Personally I don't think the real cold (very cold at this point!) aluminium trim in a 159 is best.. but I've never seen the CF in the flesh

Anyone got pics of the part leather seats?
 
#32 ·
I see the MY2011 have foldy mirrors and rain sensor again... my 09 doesn't and it annoys me a bit (although I understand the rain sensor has a mind of its own).. Pics of the seats on the car configurator look the same as my full leather ones..
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top