Lightweight 20lb seats coming to a race car near you

[fusion210]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Pretty light. I think my Insight's seats were around 30lbs, but they were terribly uncomfortable.

Overall the specs of his sports car sound similar to my Insight after the engine swap - just south of 1900lbs and north of 200hp, with 20 year old technology in all of it. I guess the trick is making it affordable.

They are the worst! It's like public transportation or amusement park seats meant to last many riders while not being hard plastic. I definitely remember them being over 30lbs and closer to mid 30s.

[serialk11r]

20lbs is pretty light for a seat that is supported by a base, but it's not that hard to do. I think OMP seats are the cheapest FIA approved seats and the fiberglass ones come in at 23lbs. The carbon fiber ones come in under 15.

I still wish more companies would do the cushion on frame seat, I find all the adjustability in fancy new cars to be pretty silly. The most comfortable position is where you're leaned back a good amount, the knees are pointed slightly upward, and you can reach the pedals and wheel comfortably. The LaFerrari does this with moving pedal box, and I think the Ford GT has a normal bucket seat bolted straight in with moving pedal box (the rear of the seat is probably hooked into the roll cage I'm guessing so it's not dead weight).

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by serialk11r

I still wish more companies would do the cushion on frame seat, I find all the adjustability in fancy new cars to be pretty silly. The most comfortable position is where you're leaned back a good amount, the knees are pointed slightly upward, and you can reach the pedals and wheel comfortably. The LaFerrari does this with moving pedal box, and I think the Ford GT has a normal bucket seat bolted straight in with moving pedal box (the rear of the seat is probably hooked into the roll cage I'm guessing so it's not dead weight).

I can't sit in a car with the seat tilted back, it hurts my lower back. I need to be mostly upright. A more flat seat bottom also helps.

Swapping the seats out from my Insight got me the adjustability I needed to prevent backaches when driving, at the cost of added weight.

[redpoint5]

Some people need the adjustability, such as seat height, to see out properly. I'm tall so I always lower the seat down to lower the center of gravity. I sit upright for better posture and to keep my back happy.

[serialk11r]

Wait, sitting upright is comfortable for you guys even for long distance? I find the pressure on my lower spine starts killing me if I am sitting upright. I always adjust seats as if I'm in a racing bucket, because that's the only way I can sit in a car for a long period of time without back pain.

Reclined doesn't mean bad posture in a car, I think...the seat is supporting you, engaging muscles for a long period of time would be bad. It's different from sitting in an office chair designed for sitting upright in, where you can get up and move around frequently.

[RedDevil]

I have a light scoliosis, I need to sit upright as that engages the back muscles which help align the vertebra. I'm used to it now, I cannot drive long distances in anyone else's car if the seat is reclined. I need it up.

The best position for your back while sitting down is the same as while standing up: straight up. Any other position puts a lateral force on the intervertebral discs. Not just in the office, but anywhere.