[RQ_GT3]

Hi folks,

Search results are a bit overwhelming and not sure what are the current offerings.

Looking for a seat that meets the following criteria for my 07 Exige S:

* Must be HANS compatible
* Support for a 6-pt harness
* Seats at least 1/2" lower than factory
* Has to accomodate a 34" waist

It would be great to retain fore-aft adjustability rather than having a fixed bracket but not mandatory.

Any recommendations or links in the right direction much appreciated!

 

[RoadDad]

I'm not sure about the Exige but my Elise seats are about 1/16" off the floor at the bottom of the bucket. I don't think you can go 1/2" lower. The Down Low brackets, IIRC, tilt the seat back slightly to give more head room but don't actually lower the seat.

 

[Rei]

Has anyone tried the Lotus Sport Recaro seats before????? Looks like they will meet up for all the specs.

 

[cory1000]

Do you need to be able to fit a passenger seat in there as well??

If not, you can easily move the shifter/e-brake over a inch or 2 and have the option for many seats...I had that done to my 07 S...

 

[38bfast]

Just went through all this with a customer, getting a seat to fit. What a pain! The Lotus Sport Recaro works but is very expensive and the quality is not there for the price. It also does not hold you that well. We bought on and sent it back. It did look nice but it not what we wanted to race in.

I guess you need to answer some questions first.
is it for a DD?
how tall are you?
If it is for split duty, Track / Street? Are you willing to switch seats back and forth?
how much do you want to spend?
how important is function?
how important is looks?
How important is safety?

For me the best thing is to swap out the stock seat when you go to the track. Aluminum Seats are much cheaper and fit well into these cars. They also support you very well. They will also give more room for the tall and or wide driver. I like the Utrashield Road Race.

FIA seats look nice but the ones that support you well don't fit well into the car.

As with most things what is best for the track is not the best for the street. A compromise is just that.

 

[snoozer]

Which ultra shield do you find that fits best (pro road race, rally sport, etc) & what size (14",15",16", etc) Look to be a good seat for the price.

 

['Nova]

I have a pair of the Tillet B5s, but have yet to install them:

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f172/new-lotus-specific-carbon-fiber-seats-65200/

I'm not sure about what makes them HANS compatble or not, but I don't see why they wouldn't work. They're a lot more comfortable than the stock seats, sit quite low and will have no problem with a 34" waist.

Comparison shot from Smitty vs. standard Exige seat:

 

[38bfast]

Which ultra shield do you find that fits best (pro road race, rally sport, etc) & what size (14",15",16", etc) Look to be a good seat for the price.

All the 15" seats fit in well. Your choice on the SM, Rally, Pro Road race. They all fit in for us. Our client went with the Pro Road Race.

 

[MTribe]

Does the Tillet provide much lateral support?

I find the stock exige seats aren't particularly supportive laterally, but then again I'm pretty slender and they feel too big for me. If not the Tillet any ideas about seats for slender folk?

 

[RQ_GT3]

Thanks, good info.

I'm trying to keep this an arrive-and-drive car since I don't always have a trailer around, so changing seats is not an option. Main reason to switch would be safety / Hans compatibility.

 

[Faze]

Does the Tillet provide much lateral support?

I find the stock exige seats aren't particularly supportive laterally, but then again I'm pretty slender and they feel too big for me. If not the Tillet any ideas about seats for slender folk?

I have the Tillet seats and feel they have fantastic lateral support. It's pretty low in the back (see the wings in the side profile), but they really hold you in place. Also, the alcantera cushions really help you stay put.

For reference, I am about 6'-1" and 180 lbs.

 

[MTribe]

Anyone in the SF bay area have one of these I could do a sit-test in?

 

[shinoo]

Check out our new Cobra Lotus Seat. It comes with brackets that mount onto the stock slider. They sit quite low as well.

Fitting seats in our cars is a challenge that I have been wrestling with for too many years...:crazyeyes. These Cobras are the best overall solution that I've tried and is FIA tested. At $800, they are a great value as well.

 

[RQ_GT3]

That Cobra seat might do the trick!

Do you know whether it sits lower (or at least as low) as the factory seats? Helmet is already pressing on the roof...

Is it returnable (unused of course) if I don't fit?

 

[Arno]

These Cobras are the best overall solution that I've tried and is FIA tested.

FIA approval for seats is only valid when fitted with a fixed mount in the car as far as I know as they do not allow slider rails in the approval process.

Bye, Arno.

 

[chotto]

The Cobra seat looks like it sits higher than the Reverie. Is this true?

 

[RQ_GT3]

Check out our new Cobra Lotus Seat. It comes with brackets that mount onto the stock slider. They sit quite low as well.

Fitting seats in our cars is a challenge that I have been wrestling with for too many years...:crazyeyes. These Cobras are the best overall solution that I've tried and is FIA tested. At $800, they are a great value as well.

Just in case this helps someone else:

I recently had the benefit of trying the above seat - it is absolutely fantastic, great quality, lateral support, position of belt points, strong shell.

Unfortunately it did not work for my particular fit (only 6'1 but long torso).

So now I am doubly dissapointed at having the OEM seat back. So please keep info coming although at this stage I am wondering if maybe the approach should be modifying the roof and not compromising the seat...

 

[Gary(SF)]

How HANS compatible is it? The stock seat, as I'm sure you know, is not terribly HANS friendly.

Gary

Check out our new Cobra Lotus Seat. It comes with brackets that mount onto the stock slider. They sit quite low as well.

Fitting seats in our cars is a challenge that I have been wrestling with for too many years...:crazyeyes. These Cobras are the best overall solution that I've tried and is FIA tested. At $800, they are a great value as well.

 

[fishguy]

a seat is considered HANS compatable when the seat back does not interfere with the HANS device. you do not want the seat pushing the device forward. it also must have factory cut holes for the shoulder harness that do not interfere with the movement of the shoulder harness.
remember that the forces in a wreck can be huge, and belts WILL stretch.
a buddy of mine crashed very hard into a concrete wall at 100mph + at about 70 degree angle. he swears that if he did not have the device on he would have been seriously hurt or dead.

the other thing that makes a seat(that is HANS compatable) work with the device is a correct installation.
there are guildlines for thow wide the shoulder belts should be inorder for the device to function properly. this stuff frequently gets ignored in some of the installations that i see at the track.
3 inches from each belt, or 6" on center for 3" belts for the mounting points.
you also do not want the distance to be to greater than 8" from the user, to the mounting point, and there are correct angles to use for the shoulder harnesses. It less than 20 degress from horizontal.
follow the guildines on the installation if you want your HANS compatable seat to still be HANS compatable.
I also swear by my HANS device, and wont get into a car on track w/o

one.http://www.schrothracing.com/docs/Schroth_Installation_Checklist.pdf

I have purchased 2 racecars that my shoulder mounting point to the rollcage was too low. I had another bar welded into place at the correct height.
I also have some retainers to keep my belts from seperating along the bar attachment point.
follow the guildelines, the device works.
Thanks HANS!!!!
Josh

 

[Lotus-Position]

Listen to Fishguy... truer words were never spoken. Fitmet is everything when it comes to seat/belts. Avail yourself of the information on the Schroth site too.

I did quite a bit of research and here is my setup: http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/543982-post84.html

Still one of the safest and best fitting HANS setups I've seen on an Elise IMO. I have since added thin padding to the seat to get my HANS away from the back of the head rest, and I now use sub belts that are only adjustable below the seat to eliminate the buckles binding in my crotch.

HTH!
LP