Alcantara Fabric for BMW: 5 Car Fabric Types You Can Use
Alcantara fabric is a highly sought-after car fabric for beautifying a BMW’s interior. Back in 2020, Alcantara partnered with BMW Italia for a new project: the limited series BMW X5 Timeless Edition. The front and rear seats were covered in plain black, alternating with an exclusive perforated design with a grey back running vertically down the central part. The Alcantara material also covered the headliner, the central armrest and the door panels. The Alcantara fabric was embellished throughout with contrasting stitching, which echoes the colour of the exterior.
One of the key reasons why BMW selected Alcantara as its interior design choice is the qualities of the Alcantara material: it is refined, resistant, lightweight, and easy to clean, and it offers the perfect grip in sporty driving conditions.
What Is Alcantara Made of?
Alcantara fabric (often referred to as Alcantara leather) is made of roughly 68% polyester and around 32% polyurethane. The actual "recipe" for the fabric is unknown and is proprietary information that belongs to its maker.
Where Does the Name 'Alcantara' Come from?
Though the brand name is Italian, it is derived from the Arabic word "al qantara", which means "the bridge". You could say Alcantara fabric is a "bridge" between animal leather and cotton fabric, although Alcantara is completely animal-free.
You can also beautify your own BMW vehicle by purchasing authentic, OEM Alcantara fabric from Hydes Leather. Here are the different types of Alcantara fabric you can purchase from our online auto Alcantara fabric store for your BMW!
1. Alcantara Car Cover
As mentioned above, Alcantara is a durable fabric made from a unique blend of polyester and polyurethane that is specially woven to create a soft and luxurious feel.
Used in many high-end European vehicles such as BMW, Alcantara seat covers are perfect for outfitting luxury cars for its style and elegance. Alcantara seat covers are soft to the touch like suede, but durable like leather. You can even design custom-fit seat covers to fit the exact specifications of your BMW seats, including armrest, headrest and console covers. You can also design elegant Alcantara seat covers for middle and rear rows of seats.
2. Alcantara Car Panel
Alcantara Panel is a single layer of Alcantara fabric with no backing, and it is the preferred choice when upholstering headliners, door panels and pillars. However, it is not designed for car seats or seats in general.
3. Alcantara Perforation
Alcantara Perforated is a double-layer material with a woven backing used for seating applications and other areas where increased textile strength may be required. At Hydes Leather, we only provide genuine Alcantara that is made in Italy.
4. Alcantara multilayer
Alcantara Multilayer is great for wrapping steering wheels or any other application where that little bit of added thickness is desired. Multilayer is approximately 1.2 mm thick. At Hydes Leather, you can find Alcantara Multilayer with genuine Alcantara that is made in Italy.
5. Alcantara Exo
Alcantara EXO is a type of outdoor-rated textile ideal for marine applications, motorcycle seats and even outdoor furniture. Alcantara EXO encompasses three layers, with the middle layer being a waterproof membrane. Alcantara EXO has greater UV resistance and breathability - features that further enhance the robustness, durability and longevity of this Alcantara fabric.
You can purchase genuine Alcantara fabric from our Alcantara store, where you will find authentic materials such as:
