HANS approved seats in 2009 Exige

[Formulabob]

Can anyone tell me the price to us of one of the new HANS approved seats in the 2009 Exige?

With helmet and HANS in my early 2008 Exige, I get a good view of the driver's airbag cover. It appears that the new seat does not kick forward as much in the "headrest" area as the older seats and thus would work much better with a HANS. Also, the new seat has higher sides in the hip area which would help on track days.

I'm open to all reasonable ideas and have tried a Tillet seat and determined it will work for track days (but it is not legal for ASP in SCCA Solo2). I would prefer a solution that already has specific mounting brackets for the Exige, but if that adds $500 to the price I will rethink that preference.

Thanks,
Bob

[BRTHTAKR]

I imagine you'd need to contact a dealer to find out about getting the HANS compatible seat. Let us know what you find out please.
How tall are you? I put in the TALLrails are Seat Rails for the Lotus Elise and Exige - Sector111 This works by little more than reclining the seat backwards. I'm 6'1". It was possible to redrill the mount to move it backward so that my knees were not pressed into the steering column. End result was a lot more headroom, but also reclined the seat such that my Dfnder did not show me the airbag. I believe this would be true for a HANS as well.
Possible problem: harness bar might interfere with placing the seat that far back. I've a custom cage (Hypersport) that gets around that. If you are not as tall as me it might work for you?

[Formulabob]

brthtakr,

I'm 5'11" achieved with short legs and long torso.

Tilting the seat might be a possible solution. However, as you note, the harness bar could be a possible issue (both closeness to seat and rotating the seat back effectively means the harness bar becomes relatively higher placing the shoulder harness mount location too high). Perhaps I can can find time to cut some test shims and give it a try next week.

As to the price of the '09 seat, I was just trying to get a price this weekend. Monday, I will call the dealer if necessary. BTW -- how do you like your Defender? I am only borrowing a HANS at the moment so the Defender remains a possible buy. Thanks.

Bob L

[BRTHTAKR]

This sure gets complicated doesn't it?
The Dfnder is more forgiving concerning the harness strap placement. There are guides built in that really help keep the straps in place. "One size fits all", they can be adjusted as to anglulation.
I saw one of the Safety Solutions Hybrid Pros Hybrid Pro | Safety Solutionstest recently. Seemed pretty compact. I did not try it on, but it looked like it might fit to a more upright headrest better than the HANS of Dfnder. Definitely something to look into.

[IamBatman]

paging Fishguy

[Formulabob]

Partial answer to my own question. Dealer parts guy got back to me today. He was told by Lotus that all HANS seats are needed for vehicle production and none are available for separate sale. They cannot (will not) estimate when any will be available separately and would not quote a price.

So, unless someone has another tried and true solution, it probably will have to be a Tillet seat for me. But before making that purchase, I will try some trim/fab shops to see if any believe it is feasible to cut and re-glass the headrest area of the seat to take out most of the angle.

[AustinP]

I asked my dealer about the '09 HANS seat about a month ago, and was told that they could order one for me, but the price was something like $3500(!) for one. I don't remember the exact amount, because I immediately wrote it off. They told me that seat, at least the one they priced for me, is CF. I don't know if there is a fiberglass version.

[Vishus_1]

These seats are carbon fiber and that gets to why they are so scarce. These were literally being hand formed and molded by one fellow there at Hethel and it has been creating quite a delay on the 260's.

Lotus indicated they would produce 40 260's for Europe/UK and 50 for the US. So far, by my calculation, the US has gotten 12 - not counting any demo/press cars LCUSA has that I am unaware of.


Europe/UK has gotten more than that but that has been harder for me to track.


Primarily, because of the seats, once the initial first 3 260's got here in March, it was another 3 months before the US got any more. These seats are really fantastic but they do make for a tighter fit getting in and out due to the curvature above the waist - the upper part has a velcrod pad that allows it to act as a cushion for the head rest but come detached to enable room for a helmet. The seats also have the sub belt fitting.

I have a feeling US 260 production is over. It should have been over at the end of May or June at the latest. 2010 Exiges are being manufactured and delivered to the UK and I wouldn't think Lotus would put both on the assembly line mixed. The 2010's do not have the Hans/FIA 260 seats. And right now, that is probably a good thing for the production line so there aren't more delays.

If I am correct and there aren't any 'special editions' in the works that will use the seats, and if the fellow making them continues, I would suspect stock should begin and they should be available for sale soon. But if demand is high, there will probably be quite a waiting list at the pace it has been going.

[Formulabob]

Vishus 1,

Thanks for the info. Sounds like possibly sometime soon for seat orders, but also possibly for about the same price as a set of race shock absorbers -- and an indeterminate delivery time.

BTW -- there is at least one LCUSA press car 260 at Auto Europe here in Birmingham, Michigan.

Regards,
Bob Layman

[MTribe]

Anyone get price or availability updates on these?


NEW HANS Compliant Carbon Seat1
Part No. - Special Order Part A128B0270J
Applications - Elise/Exige/2-Eleven
HANS compliant carbon fibre lightweight race seat, as seen
in the Exige 260. These seats are FIA compliant when fitted
with FIA fixed seat brackets (ALS3V0109J).