Seat Suggestions for Street

[Lelandjt]

My reasons for wanting new seats are:
Much lighter weight (carbon?)
Thinner back to maximize rear knee/cargo space (carbon?)
Tan leather type material. I was going to have the stock seats reupolstered but decided to go thinner and lighter at the same time. This'll look great with my BRG wrap and bronze wheels.

Considerations are I need tilt, prefer bolsters that aren't radical enough to be annoying getting in & out, and it'd be nice if installation is simple enough I can do it. Not crazy expensive.

[OkieSnuffBox]

Serious questions. Why do you have such a big focus on weight (no real carbon fiber seat is going to be cheap, lightweight wheels in stock or near stock size), if you want to keep the car on an OEM suspension?

What is your goal for the car once it's delivered?

I had a very clear goal for my car when I ordered it in April of last year, delivered in September of last year. Nice wider wheels, more street focused tires (Conti ECS), lowered but not uncomfortable, a nice sounding catback, the TRD ducktail spoiler, OEM Audio+ stereo, PPF and ceramic coating, ceramic tint.

Everything was done last year. Except the TRD ducktail spoiler which is in the garage, and OEM Audio+ I already have the front 6 speakers now just waiting for the amps/sub to be delivered. And then I'm basically going to just enjoy it.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by OkieSnuffBox

Serious questions. Why do you have such a big focus on weight (no real carbon fiber seat is going to be cheap, lightweight wheels in stock or near stock size), if you want to keep the car on an OEM suspension?

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Lelandjt

My reasons for wanting new seats are:
Much lighter weight (carbon?)
Thinner back to maximize rear knee/cargo space (carbon?)
Tan leather type material. I was going to have the stock seats reupolstered but decided to go thinner and lighter at the same time. This'll look great with my BRG wrap and bronze wheels.

Considerations are I need tilt, prefer bolsters that aren't radical enough to be annoying getting in & out, and it'd be nice if installation is simple enough I can do it. Not crazy expensive.

For folding seats...you're not going to save a ton of weight but you'll save some. Carbon isn't really an option for folding seats either, and folding or fixed they're very expensive.

Not sure there's much out there in tan leather unless you reupholster them yourself.

Recaro Sportster are a very good and popular option for folding seats. They're kind of the benchmark, and also ~1500 bucks each seat and not including rails/sliders.

- Andrew

[OkieSnuffBox]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

All those racecars on OEM suspension.

[Stonehorsw]

I may go aftermarket seats in the future if it improves rear seat legroom. In my case, would be more concerned about not impacting safety. My commute is short, but I like taking the kids for some longer runs.

[soundman98]

just keep in mind that performance seats have expiration dates for a reason.

oem seats are rated for the lifespan of the vehicle.

[Lelandjt]

I was expecting there would be major weight to be dropped and several inches of space gained by replacing the stock seats (don't they have airbags in them?) with something racy. At first I was thinking fixed back but then decided I might regret that.

The motivations for replacing the seats are:
Better and different looking material
More space behind them
Lighter weight

[alex87f]

With your criteria, the OEM seats are as good as it gets.

Doubt you'll get much extra rear room with other options, and if you do, it'll be at the detriment of safety (no airbags), practicality and possibly very expensive / requiring some fabrication.

Getting them reupholstered is a good idea and is doable, but it'll set you back several grand if you want the thing done right. You can just have the seats done in tan, but you'll likely want to do the backseat as well. And then, if you want everything to be OEM like, you'll want tan stitching on the armrests / gear and handbrake boots and knobs, steering wheel, etc.

Also, can you post a picture of your BRG wrap?

[DarkPira7e]

Ohhh the best space saving seat that saves weight? Here you go

[Lelandjt]

Originally Posted by alex87f

Also, can you post a picture of your BRG wrap?

Don't have the car yet.

[Stonehorsw]

Originally Posted by Lelandjt

I was expecting there would be major weight to be dropped and several inches of space gained by replacing the stock seats (don't they have airbags in them?) with something racy. At first I was thinking fixed back but then decided I might regret that.

The motivations for replacing the seats are:
Better and different looking material
More space behind them
Lighter weight

From what I saw so far, the weight difference is negligible as the rails/adaptor brackets is going to offset most of the gains.

[Tcoat]

I have got to ask. Have you ever satin racing seats for a prolonged period? I don't mean quasi racing seats that are just slightly altered stock type but actual racing seats that would save any weight at all. There are very valid reasons why stock seats are built the way they are.

[Lelandjt]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Have you ever satin racing seats for a prolonged period? I don't mean quasi racing seats that are just slightly altered stock type but actual racing seats that would save any weight at all.

What I was after is the adjustable tilt "quasi racing seats" with reasonable padding and not such radical bolsters on the bottom that ingress/egress is a hassle. I thought I'd find some with light construction and a much thinner back that would add several inches to the space behind it. I'm genuinely surprised this doesn't exist.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

There are very valid reasons why stock seats are built the way they are.

I'd assumed those reasons are more comfort than I need (I'm a professional cyclist so think of the hours I've spent on uncomfortable seats) and more safety than I desire (air bags). Often in these scenarios significant weight and bulk can be shed by choosing something that is enough for me, but not most.