The 997 model of the Porsche 911 was available with a number of different interior colors. These were divided into standard colors, special colors, and natural leather. Custom colors were available, too. The standard interior featured partial leather seats plus leather on most surfaces that are touched regularly, i.e. steering wheel, handbrake lever, door grips, and arm rests. The headliner was Alcantara Full leather seats were an option. The optional leather package (standard if you opted for a special color or natural leather) added leather to the dashboard, top of the doors, rear seats, and other areas. But it didn’t end here, as you could get many more parts, including the seat backs and center console, covered in leather, with more than 10 leather options shown in contemporary price lists. The dashboard etc. leather package is by far the most common.

Stone Grey, Sand Beige, and Terracotta were available as bi-color options with some parts in black, but I know of at least one car with Sea Blue interior and a black dashboard. The price list features a list of recommended combinations of exterior and interior colors (and top colors for convertibles), but you could order other combinations. My car is Midnight Blue with black interior, which is not a Porsche-recommended combination.

Standard colors

Black

Probably the most common interior color. Some people may find it boring and it makes the cabin feel small, but I like it and it has the added advantage of not showing soft touch paint wear so easily. It’s a classic color that shouldn’t cause issues when selling a car.

Stone Grey

A medium grey, darker than the 996’s Graffiti Grey. Not a color that I see often on European cars. The car shown features a painted center console and the Carbon appearance package.

Here’s another example with painted center console and the bi-color option.

Sand Beige

A tan color that is a bit darker and less yellowish than the 996’s Savannah Beige. The downside is that is shows scratches easily, as the plastic underneath the soft-touch paint is black. This color appears to be the most common after black. The white balance on this image appears to be on the warm side, others show less of an orange hue. This one also has the bi-color option, which makes a lot of sense as it reduces reflections in the windscreen and to me also looks nicer than an all-beige interior.

Palm Green

This interior color was discontinued at some point and is probably the rarest of the 997 interior colors. It is a dark green that in my opinion looks very nice on a silver car, certainly an interesting alternative to standard black.

Sea Blue

A dark greyish blue. Another color that should look good on a grey or silver car, but quite rare.

Special colors

Cars with these might command a premium in the used market.

Terracotta

Terracotta is a quite vivid reddish-brown color. This is a color that in my opinion looks best on a more subdued exterior color, such as black or dark gray. The car in this image has the painted center console.

Terracotta was available in bi-color as well, once again a good choice in my opinion. This car (actually a Cayman, not a 911) also has a painted center console.

Cocoa

A dark brown. I’m not into brown in general, but it has a certain natural look to it that complements certain colors (especially white) well.

Natural leathers

The natural leathers differ in the use of a different tanning/coloring process and apparently have different grain and feel than the other leathers. I get the impression that the natural leathers are a sough-after option and hence will probably command a premium in the used market.

Natural brown

A dark tan, significantly darker than Sand Beige. Certainly my favorite of the brownish options, and a color that should look good with a dark exterior color like Midnight Blue. This car also has the Sycamore interior trim package.

Natural dark grey

As the name implies, an anthracite grey. This was actually paired with black soft-touch paint, so in appearance it is close to black. The car shown here has the carbon interior trim package.

Carrera Red

Carrera Red was a later addition. It is a bright red, without the brownish hue of Terracotta. This is certainly not to everyone’s taste, but I must say that I like the contrast that it provides on a black car. This car has the painted center console.

A bi-color variant with black dashboard was not officially offered, but apparently could be custom-ordered. This is a bit easier on the eyes, although this car compensates it by having the center console, shift knob, and handbrake lever in red, unlike the car shown above.