NO, it absolutely does not mean that. All modern automotive leathers have a protective coating (and despite some claims to the contrary, this coating does allow non-silicone conditioners to penetrate); this type of leather lasts much longer than earlier types but if the surface is allowed to become brittle (sun, heat, dirt...) then cracking and abrasion will result.
The use of a good quality conditioner (see posting # 11 above) will keep the leather surface soft and supple, as well as clean. Use it regularly, especially in a convertible.

 

Apropos the extended leather, I have it on my car but the leather over the centre stack and instrument cluster has a snakeskin effect. Is that leather?

 

Same here Bruce.
I originally thought my car came with "extended leather" coz the dash above the glovebox and other parts of the dash are leather, but then I read that extended leather includes the A pillar covers and the sun visors, and on my car both of those are fabric, so I then assumed that all F-Type dashes above the glovebox are leather and I didn't really have extended leather at all. And that "snakeskin effect" stuff is definitely not leather, I reckon it's vinyl.
So does anyone have a definitive answer of what extra leather bits you get (and what you don't get) with the "extended leather" option?

 

The Extended Leather option (which was also called Premium Leather Pack) "adds leather to the upper fascia, centre console (this means the grab handle and around the shift unit), door casings, A-pillars, sun visors, header rail and, on Coupes, the headliner" (this is from the Canadian-market brochures of every model year).

I have this in my car and it is exactly as described.Without this optional leather package the dash to ("upper fascia") is vinyl, very good quality vinyl that looks almost identical to the leather, indistinguishable unless you compare them side by side (this leather vs vinyl arrangement was also done on the earlier XK cars, and again, except for a very slight difference in grain, was indistinguishable).
Your car, with fabric on the A-pillars and sun visors does not have this Extended Leather package. The"snakeskin" portion above the gauges definitely does not look like leather to me, and it is the same in every car regardless of having the leather pack or not.

 

Cheers. Mine came with "premium leather interior" which was a $3K option. I'm sure that the dash above the glovebox is real leather, and around the grab handle and around the shifter, but then the stuff over the centre stack and instrument cluster is the synthetic. On the doors (top and arm rest) it is real leather, as is the cubby cover.



The leather is really good quality, I'd say a semi analine. It's a lot nicer than the standard leather which looked like corrected grain to me.


So I guess that there are two options, the extended leather which I dont have, and the premium leather which I do.


Looking at your photo I see that the stuff between the top of your doors and the armrest is the same colour as the leather. Do you think that is leather too? Mine looks to be but I wasnt sure.

 

Yes Bruce, the Premium Leather and the Extended Leather are two different but complementary packages. My car has both; the premium leather is what Jaguar calls "Windsor leather", which is a very soft, very fine-grained leather. And with respect to the photo of my interior, everything in the Brogue colour is leather, as well as some of the black - the console armrest, the fascia top, the grab handle, the A pillars, the headliner...in short, virtually every soft surface except for the piece over the instrument cluster (and the carpets) is leather. Superb.

 

 

I am looking for a Cayman PDK But if you really like driving a couch, get a Lexus

 

Jag's Windsor leather is indeed softer and feels much nicer than the standard Taurus leather offering. But it's not semi-analine. My 2011 XJL Supersport has semi-analine leather and it is again that much nicer and has natural leather grain in it.

 

No, the seats do not get saggy, although I know why you think so - what you see is the soft Windsor leather that stretches a bit and gives that appearance - but the seat base remains firm and supportive and perfectly comfortable.

 

 

When they get a little saggy the springiness in the seats takes up some of the bumps, so your **** doesnt bet pummelled as much on rough roads. My XKR drivers seat was sublime at about 60,000km

 

 

I'd rather have good quality leather that might give you a bit of a saggy look than cheap, hard leather that doesn't stretch and ends up splitting at the stitching no matter how much you condition it. I will say that I noticed the saggy look in photos when I first started looking at these, but then I made the connection that it's because it's good quality leather that stretches (just like my good, expensive leather shoes will stretch a bit and my cheap ones don't). Besides, nobody but me really is ever in the car, although I'll admit I've offered a ride to a couple of hot guys recently so they might eventually see the passenger seat at least , so I really don't care if the seat looks a bit saggy as long as the underpinning remains good.

I haven't used Lexol yet, but will be ordering it (especially since I can use it on motorcycle gear as well). I can't remember what brand of conditioner my husband bought, but we use the same stuff on our leather sofa and the leather in both cars.