What Is Alcantara®?
Alcantara ® is registered trademark of Alcantara S.p.A.
Impossible to pigeonhole it into any classification which includes other materials: Alcantara ® is Alcantara ®, a material which does not fit into any existing product categories but defines a new category of its own with many attempts at imitation. Its composition is the result of a series of processes structured in a manner that is difficult to reproduce. Alcantara ® is a unique and innovative covering material, the result of unique and proprietary technology. It offers an extraordinary combination of sensory, aesthetic and functional values, and social awareness that characterizes a contemporary lifestyle: the lifestyle of those who like to fully enjoy the products they use on a daily basis while respecting the environment.
Never settle for less. JPM Coachworks uses only genuine Alcantara and never works with substitutes. If you're not familiar with this revolutionary material and its origins, lets go over the ins and outs as well as a few misconceptions that others in the industry have about it.
The material was developed in the 1970s by Miyoshi Okamoto, a scientist working for the Japanese chemical company Toray. In 1972, a joint venture between Italian chemical company ENI and Toray formed Alcantara SpA in order to manufacture and distribute the material. Throughout the years, Alcantara has been popularized as a prestigious material for use in automobiles by being used in exotic marks such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin as well as others.
The soft, suede feel of the material leaves you with an experience of luxury and comfort that is unequaled by its competitors. Through its manufacturing process, Alcantara is afforded benefits that could never be achieved by actual suede. Unlike actual suede, Alcantara does not fade, is stain resistant, and will not bleed its colors among a number of things. Alcantara will not heat up like leather in the summer or cool down in the winter, making it the perfect solution for seating surfaces. Its unique texture also provides amazing grip that will keep you glued into your seat for track days or spirited driving. For these reasons, it is also a popular material for use on steering wheels.
Now that you know a little bit about Alcantara, let's go over a few misconceptions that are floating around the car interior world. First, you must understand that Alcantara is a particular material and trademarked name. It is not a generic term or label although some shops use it whenever describing similar materials. Ultrasuede is not Alcantara. Ultrasuede is in fact a close cousin of Alcantara and also a trademarked name by Toray Industries. Ultrasuede was invented about the same time as Alcantara using similar procedures so it has a similar look and feel as Alcantara. However, Ultrasuede is usually intended for use in other manners such as furniture, clothing, or interior styling and is not best suited for automotive use although it does make its way into show cars that are after a particular color that is not available in Alcantara.
Ultrasuede is probably hurt the most by generic use of the term to describe suede like materials. Chances are if someone says they are using Ultrasuede, they are using a substitute. Be careful that you are not misled when someone is saying they have Ultrasuede or Alcantara and always ask for them to clarify that they are indeed talking about the actual products and not a competitor.
So what's the big deal about using the genuine article? Toray Industries, as the pioneer of this material, has spent decades perfecting the material and the way it is able to be used. It is something that cannot be duplicated over the course of a few years or just by using a similar process. JPM Coachworks has had a chance to see, feel, and test many of the competitors. The end result is that they just don't stack up. Alcantara knows that every application is unique and demands a different physical property so there are actually two variations to Alcantara. These variations allow us to use a super flexible version in heavily contoured areas and a more reinforced version for applications that should not stretch, such as seating surfaces. Most competitors offer one choice that does neither very well. Alcantara's manufacturing process creates a very dense material that has an even soft finish to it. Almost every single competitor uses a weave pattern that exposes each row and is never as dense. For the few that might get close to the density of Alcantara, the softness of those materials fall extremely short.
The history, technology, and quality of this amazing material is why JPM Coachworks will use nothing but genuine Alcantara.
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Alcantara® Panel - By the Yard
$99.95 -
Alcantara® Cover - By the Yard
$104.95 -
Alcantara® Perforated (Round) - By the Yard
$109.95
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