Hi,

I seemed to go back and forth on my build 2021 C8 2LT HTC Convertible Mag Ride with few exterior/interior cosmetic upgrades (Artic White with 2 tone red/black). Those who have sat or seen the 2LT and 3LT interior, can you "see" and "feel" the difference in "leather" quality? Does the 3LT feels more luxurious inside? Through videos and pictures, the leather in 2LT looks the same as 3LT. Would you kindly share your experience and opinions on this.. 2LT vs 3LT leather. With said and done the price is approx. $3200 in difference between 2LT package with GT2 seats and 3LT package. This will be my first corvette and my childhood dream car. Finally happening... lol Thank you in advance.

 

Click this link for a previous discussion on this exact topic:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...r-quality.html


FWIW 3lt is worth it on the coupe just to get the nicer roof. JMO

 

It's not so much about the leather quality as much as it is about putting leather in more locations on the 3LT and using microsuede on the pillars and roof. The only place the Napa leather is used is on the seating surfaces. Other locations are Mulan leather. But there isn't a huge difference between the two leathers.
But, yes, the 3LT feels more luxurious.

 

First, the ONLY real animal hide tanned leather is on the GT 2 seat. And then as in the C7 ONLY on the seating surface. GM finally admits the seat bolsters are "faux Leather" with their their coined name Mulan (see below pic.)

Mulan is similar to Chryslers old Corinthian faux leather! That name was invented by their ad agency! Both are what is called bonded leather. Bonded leather is made similar to vinyl (which GM says is their other "soft touch" material.) Except instead of filler like calcium carbonate and clay it uses finely ground real leather scraps. That can vary from 10% to 40%. GM doesn't say that BUT it was leaked for the C7! You can look at the furniture association info as they are concerned these propriety names of bonded leather used for furniture often don't indicate the properties compared to real leather.

Any time you see "Leather mentioned" in Corvette brochures without the word Napa it's likely faux Mulan leather.

IMO, depends what you are looking at as to color. For example I got hoked back to a 3LT as I had on my 2014 Z51 and went with a 2LT for my Grand Sport because GM got cheap stating in 2016 and make most 3LT look like a patch work quilt, IMO! I got Natural Dipped 3LT in my C8 and like all "dipped" interior in my case is light tan! I bought the black GM weather floor mats before my C8 arrived! Love it!

 

night and day 3lt much nicer

 

I got the 3Lt because I wanted the MorelloRed Interior, if i were getting a black interior I would have gotten the 2LT

 

Thank you. So more mulan leather on more places in 3LT vs 2LT. So 3LT Dash/door panels/center console are mulan leather like 2LT. Just that there are more mulan leather on the Dash/ doors/center console in 3LT. So the feel is the same in 2LT and 3LT? All this time I thought it was napa leather... lol Is that correct? Sorry for the redundacy. Thanks

 

My opinion is that the feel of the Mulan and Napa leather isn't that much different. The main difference between them Napa is real leather so you see the natural grain. The Mulan leather will have a more consistent grain. I don't have my C8 yet (but I did have a 3LT C7) so hopefully someone with a C8 chimes in.
Don't discount the semi-synthetic leathers. Both real and semi-synthetic leathers have a urethane coating for wear resistance. It is quite possible the Mulan leather will wear better over time.

 

GM has never said that they fixed the 3LT dash leather delamination problem. If you buy a 3LT, be prepared for the delamination. If they did fix the problem, good for them. 2LT does not have the delamination problem.

 

Above picture was captured on 2LT package. Does the center console leather looks this way in 3LT? If anyone has 3LT Packages, would you kindly chime in. Thanks.

 

big difference in leather grade.
3LT is much nicer.

 

The ONLY real tanned animal hide Leather is Napa and it's ONLY on the GT2 Seating Surface NOT even the Bolsters as the GM literature finally states. IMO Mulan does not "feel" or "look" any different than Vinyl! Could not tell the difference in my 2LT 2017 Grand Sport Vinyl Dash and my 3LT Mulan faux Leather Dash on my 2014 3LT or my 3LT C8 dash.

In fact hope GM got smart and made my C8 3LT Dash from Vinyl! A number of reports of C7 3LT Mulan Dashes shrinking and NONE with C7 1LT and 2LT Vinyl Dashes reported. Fits what the Furniture Association states about bonded leather. Don't put near heating Vents and keep out of Direct Sun! Can only hope GM made my 3LT C8 DASH out of Vinyl to avoid similar warranty costs paid with C7's when they replaced the Dash in some cases On Their Dime and REJECTED others where the Owner had to foot the $1000+ bill!

Both "feel" soft, no doubt similar synthetic backings and both "look" like leather since they pass under embossing rolls in manufacture. Both faux Mulan "leather" and Vinyl come in wide rolls that make them both easy and cheap to nest and cut parts into the sizes required. Selecting a real animal hide requires dealing with smaller pieces, identifying the area where the Cow etc brushed into a barbed wire fence or has natural blemishes etc! Leaves lots of scrape. Not cheap and NOT widely used in the Corvette!

FWIW I was quoted the same price by the interior shop owner for real Leather or a high end Synthetic Vinyl called "Ultraleather" for my street rod. It's as soft as glove leather and he said he could make a more elaborated interior with "Untraleater," which He did. He matched my exterior flames! It looks as good now 20 years later!

All done at a "fixed price" and had no idea the headliner would have flames or he would make the arm rests as flames! Did not see that until I picked it up when finished!



Took an interior with nothing finished I built and gave him and make it great!

 

Another nod due to 2LT, due to GM's C6, C7 and now C8's leather delamination problem.

 

^^
Have not heard of a C8 Dash problem! Was hoping GM got smart and used Vinyl for the C8 Dash! That is the only place I recall that "fake leather" Mulan was an issue! GM never validated the 3LT Dash was Mulan, but by deduction it is obvious. In fact having between 15% to max 40% finely ground leather as a filler in a man made product does not deserve to be called "leather." But that is what the furniture industry does as well.

Vinyl is made to look like leather the same way as "fake Mulan leather" and doesn't involve the toxic chemical processes used to tan and die animal hides! So even the leather ground up scrapes went through the process. If it was not for wanting a "dipped" color I would have selected a 2LT! It's certainly not for more fake leather!

 

3LT is nicer of course Than 2LT.
But NO WAY IS IT WORTH 10 GRAND MORE!

 

^^^
Just to state your incorrect 10 grand difference correctly:
Looking at the 2021 Build Website the difference between a 3LT and 2LT is $4650.
If you want the "Best Seat (GT2)" add $1485 to the 2LT- comes with 3LT.
Then the price difference between a 3LT and 2LT is $3155.

Since I wanted a "Dipped Interior Color" had no choice but a 3LT and I also got in addition to the GT2 seats:

• Custom Leather-Wrapped Interior
• Suede-Wrapped Upper Interior Trim
• Leather-Wrapped Lower Doors (That is some of which GM got cheap in 2016 with the C7 3LT that caused me to get a 2LT 2017 Grand Sport from my 3LT 2014 C7!)

PS: I would not own a 1LT for a number of reasons BUT the video camera rear view versus a useless center mirror is a key one. HUD is another as too many AH distracted drivers on the road. I attribute my 60 years of driving without an accident with another car to: 1) Luck and 2) Knowing where all cars are around me at all times! Have my iPhone set to not receive calls or "beep" when moving. Never set up Bluetooth in my C7 or now my C8. Don't want to be tempted to be distracted. I keep my eyes on all the AHs that are! Not easy to avoid today!

 

People with 2LT will say no difference. People with 3LT will say huge difference. We are all geniuses. No surprise here.

 

Hmm, I had a 3LT 2014 C7, 2LT 2017 Grand Sport and now a 3LT C8! I don't see a difference between Mulan fake, faux "leather" and Vinyl.

Been been looking and did a test on my 2LT 2017 Grand Sport. Decided to add a 3LT Upper Dash Pad to my 2LT Black Dash. In 2017 the seat colored upper dash pad only came on 3LT's. I bought a GM 3LT Red Upper Dash Pad that matched my seat color. In pics below can't tell the difference between that "Mulan" Upper Dash Pad and my 2LT Vinyl Dash. They are both man made, sold in large rolls that pass under embossing rollers that make the leather like pattern! My 2LT dash felt soft when pressed just like my 2014 and current 3LT dash.

As I have said, IF I didn't want the "dipped interior" would have gotten a 2LT. But Love my 3LT interior!

 

Is there a difference in the headliner? And if so, what about with the HTC? Being a convertible is the 3lt headliner different than a coupe? I did not know if the htc headliner had to be of a lighter material?

 

^^^^
Have no idea what a Vert looks like, this is my Coupe headliner. Hard to see the stitching so put in an inset.