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LWB are great... sure, sometimes a little awkward in and out for me, I'm fat, short, lazy and have back issues. I did 1300 mies in three days with not a peep of discomfort. Yes, I'd love to be able to easily clean the rear glass and put my clubs in the back. Yes, I'd love massage and cooling. But, that's what a S550 is for... as the 75 year old man on a Ninja 1000 sportbike told me over 25 years ago when I worried about his comfort... "go faster, don't be a wuss."
Elise owner here. Getting in/out Elise is harder but the seats are WAY more comfortable (for me) than Porsche buckets. At least Exige style buckets I have in my Elise Sport.
Exige 420 owner here, i found getting in and out of the car a bit annoying, but once you are in it was super comfy.
Yep, agreed. LWBS super comfy, once you are in them. Granted, with the Spyder top up it's more a "Hoodini" move getting in but I drive it 98% of the time with the top off (I'm trying to think if I even have one picture of if with the top up...). Greats seats both in comfort and look. They tick the "form & function" box nicely.
I think the buckets look really cool and fit the style of the GT car. With that said, I spec’d 2 way and my freeze date was the 16th so that’s what I’m locked in with. Just felt like it was the most comfortable choice for me long term.
I went with the 2 ways after having the lwb in my rs for 3 years and WOW, it’s my fav part of the gt4 other than it’s so much more agile and fun than the 3rs just so comfy but you never move laterally
Really though I think it depends mostly on body habitus and preference. I just did a 9 hour drive in them to Mid Ohio this past weekend and have no complaints at all. Also its hard to argue against a ~$5000 factory option that can immediately be sold for ~$15000 in the aftermarket...
Really though I think it depends mostly on body habitus and preference. I just did a 9 hour drive in them to Mid Ohio this past weekend and have no complaints at all. Also its hard to argue against a ~$5000 factory option that can immediately be sold for ~$15000 in the aftermarket...
^^^This
I have LWBS in my 718 Spyder and my 991.2 GT3RS and 18 ways in my Cayman 4.0. The buckets are great for driving position and performance during autocross and track sessions. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I find them very comfortable, even on long drives to various tracks, with the exception of the 5 point harness that sticks up through the bottom of the seat!
The Cayman is spec’d for comfort and grace, perfect for driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway/date night. (But my husband still freaks out, worrying about parking the car downtown.)
I think it all depends on the primary use of the car. I do think the LWBS are more desirable for resale.
Lwbs, look great but they are far from ideal for many body types. My physique is similar to a running back.. Big legs, broad shoulders and wide back.. I found the Lwbs, would pinch my lats and crush the nads..ventilation would be nice to avoid the sweaty backs during summer, also a recline function is very necessary. Ingress and Egress, was never an issue for me, but they were far from comfortable for the reasons mentioned above.
I think I will splurge on a pair of GT2 buckets for my next gt4..
Lwbs, look great but they are far from ideal for many body types. My physique is similar to a running back.. Big legs, broad shoulders and wide back.. I found the Lwbs, would pinch my lats and crush the nads..ventilation would be nice to avoid the sweaty backs during summer, also a recline function is very necessary. Ingress and Egress, was never an issue for me, but they were far from comfortable for the reasons mentioned above.
I think I will splurge on a pair of GT2 buckets for my next gt4..
Yeah they really just seemed designed specifically for the European body type. Tall and lanky. Of which is exactly my body type and so for me they've always felt incredibly comfy. My friend doesn't really like hers that much but she got them specifically for track use. But she is of the wider hip variety and says that's where most of her discomfort lies.
Yeah they really just seemed designed specifically for the European body type. Tall and lanky. Of which is exactly my body type and so for me they've always felt incredibly comfy. My friend doesn't really like hers that much but she got them specifically for track use. But she is of the wider hip variety and says that's where most of her discomfort lies.
I'm not sure that's true. I'm short and stout, and the buckets are incredibly comfy for me. Long drives are no problem at all and getting in and out is easy once you have a good technique down (hand on sill is everything!). The angle is just fine for me at the track with my helmet on as well.
I don't find them annoying in the least, and is easily one of my favorite things about the car. But I acknowledge they might not be for everyone.
I'm not sure that's true. I'm short and stout, and the buckets are incredibly comfy for me. Long drives are no problem at all and getting in and out is easy once you have a good technique down (hand on sill is everything!). The angle is just fine for me at the track with my helmet on as well.
I don't find them annoying in the least, and is easily one of my favorite things about the car. But I acknowledge they might not be for everyone.
I think as long as your legs fit in without feeling squished they are probably pretty good.
I think it just depends on your body type. I've recently sat in both while deciding for a car I'm speccing, and I like the carbon buckets. For reference I'm 5'11 and pretty thin. I've heard others who were a little broader of shoulder / waist did not like them. Sit in them and decide.
Just had the luxury of doing the GT3 vs GT4 experience at PECLA, the GT4 had sofas and the GT3 had buckets and I can say without a doubt if you plan on tracking your vehicle then the buckets are a must-have. If I hadn't experienced both back to back I might have been fine with the sofas but after cornering hard in the buckets its quickly apparent that the sofas and buckets were designed for two totally different types of driving.....
^ Still opinion. I'm hitting pretty high G's in S turns and a heavily banked carousel and I don't move around at all on the sofas. There is zero benefit for a bucket for me on the track. I've also been in both on the track and it felt no different.
LWB look spectacular and they felt really good once I was in them. However, the seating position is just slightly too upright for me and the lack of heat for my top down Spyder driving in cool mountain weather was the reason I went with 18-way. The whole weight argument doesn't hold water. This amount of weight difference, and especially the location of the added weight, won't make a bit of difference in performance. Why can't LWB come with a heated option? Why is that so hard to do?