GoKart

Anyone struggle with this?

I’m 5’10”, 190-195lbs, very wide in the shoulders. I feel like these standard 987 seats are made for a teenager’s build. They need to be a good 2 inches wider, to sit between the bolsters comfortably but snug.

I have been driving sports cars for decades. I have a 964 with big bolster sport seats that don’t bother me. BMW sport seats have always been great. VW Recaro’s. etc.

The only other car that had seats that bothered me was my 2005 C55 AMG. Also tight in the shoulders, although not as tight as the 987’s.

Maybe I am sitting in them wrong. Or I need a different seat. It detracts from the driving pleasure and long distance comfort significantly.

harveyf

There doesn't seem to be much written about this but I couldn't agree more. I'm not a big guy. 5-7, 175lb. My 06 CS seats have always pinched me in the shoulders, to the point that I avoid taking the car on long trips. If I am going a long way, I have a foam pad that I put back there, which helps a lot. My wife, on the other hand, thinks the seats are very comfy.

It requires a little invasive surgery but on my 928, I pulled the center upholstered section of the seat, which is sewn up separate and held in with hog rings, and added extra foam behind it to push it forward and effectively make it feel wider. I have looked at the CS seats and am not sure if this could be done simply or not.

Julian_KCMO

Sounds like you have the Sports seats rather than the standard seats? If so I have the perfect solution! I'll drive to your house with a case of cold beer and we'll swap my standard seats into your car and fit your sports seats into mine
I also have an athletic build and find my seats to actually be very comfortable, just this past Saturday I drove 1120 miles from Atlanta to Kansas City in a day.

Cheers,
Julian

hueyhoolihan

i have the standard seats in my '07 cayman and i agree. i'm 5'8" with wide shoulders and the seats are way too narrow starting at the bottom of my ribcage. no question. i noticed it the first time i sat in the car. of course, that didn't stop me from buying it nor does it cause undue discomfort. i've driven it across the country doing consecutive 600+ mile days without too much concern. i'd call it a first world problem.

BTW, the wristband on one of my rolexes pinches me on occasion too.

banksc01

Same issue with my Sports Seats...causes shoulder pain on long drives.

GoKart

Good to know I’m not imagining it.

I have standard non-sport seats.

I drove the car this morning after I posted, and yeah, it’s the ribcage that’s pinched. Bottom of my shoulder blades are basically resting on top of the bolsters, not in between them.

I feel like the seat is for a size Small to Medium dude, not Large to XL.

It’s bad enough that I don’t know if I will keep the car. It’s not comfortable at all.

Julian_KCMO

I'll make the same offer to you for me turn up with a case of cold beer and do a seat swap

harveyf

I think these seats are a version of Italian loafers. Look spiffy but too narrow.
I spent just a little time sitting in the multi-way adjustable seats from the higher end 911s. I really did not find them to be the solution, they are heavy, probably wouldn't fit, and are crazy expensive. I do think a clever upholstery guy could rework the existing seats to build out the center section (make it thicker) and thus it would also taper into the side bolster at a wider position. For what it's worth, the last time I looked there was just a seat back for a Cayman for sale on Ebay for not much money. It might be interesting to buy it to experiment on. But initially, I would suggest you buy some 1" foam and just experiment with it to see if you get something that feels good, then see how you could work it into the existing seat back. BTW, foam cuts really nicely with an electric carving knife.

KrisA

I'm 5'5" and about 160lbs. Should be 145, but I've gotten fat and lazy, that's another story. Anyways...

My 2012 also has the standard seats and I tolerate them, but I really don't like them. I agree that the feel narrow, but yet at the same time don't have great hold in hard cornering. Worst of both worlds. They also feel too mushy in the bottoms and I hate the fake leather. On the plus side I have done longer drives in them and didn't feel any discomfort. My other car is a MK7.5 Golf R and I like the seats in that car about a million times more than the Porsche seats, they are higher quality, more adjustable, more comfortable and have better bolstering thus keeping me more stable in hard cornering. I feel like I need to say that out loud again: the seats in my VW are better than the seats in my Porsche SPORTS CAR!

Now, all that said I simply adore my Cayman, the car is magic. It moves in ways that my Golf R can never dream of doing. It makes sounds make 4 bangers weep. It looks like sex. It's worth a seat upgrade! On my upgrade list is a set of Recaro Sporster CS's in leather with heating. I don't often use the seat heaters in my Cayman but the thought of having the button with no heating hurts my OCD. The Recaro page even shows these magnificent looking seats in a Porsche 9X7!

https://www.recaro-automotive.com/en...o-sportster-cs

I believe it is recommended to get different adjustment ***** as the 9X7 interior is a bit tight for these seats, but other than that it seems to be simple, but pricey, bolt in.

GoKart

Are the Recaro Sportster’s wider than 987 seats….?

professsorz

Interesting. I actually found the seats to force my back "onto" them and not into them. I tried all the seat variants, even going to SoCal to try the million way adjustable ones. None felt good and I ended up not ordering a '16 Cayman and instead getting a BMW M235i. A large part of the decision was how great the 235's felt (and the rest of the car was excellent as well). But ... after 3 years I tried a pre-owned Boxster on a lark and it felt great. Ended up buying myself an '08 RS60 Spyder that had 20k miles on it. Came with sport seats plus and both my wife and I LOVE them. Super comfortable and supportive. Yet the plot thickens. Was at the dealer a couple of weeks back and sat in a 2022 Cayman GTS 4.0 with sport seats plus and ... not comfortable. Definitely pinched - just like the new ones I tried in '15. So maybe they break in? Visually they look just like my seats yet the experience is completely different.

audi49

I have a love-hate relationship with car seats. I think I'm just sensitive to them. Finding the perfect car seat for me has been challenging. (I'm 5' 10'', 185 lbs). I remember when I purchased my '98 Audi A4 back in the day I found the seats uncomfortable even on short drives, to the point that I was shopping for aftermarket seats... but after a few months of driving my body seamed to adjust and the seats were fine for years later. I find my 987 Boxster seats to be not especially comfortable nor uncomfortable. They're kind of firm... and tight I agree. My Lexus IS (non F-sport) seats are very comfortable (and supportive), but on very long drives they do cause some lower back pain for some reason. My wife's Grand Cherokee seats have no support and aren't comfortable, but I've never had any back pain after hours of driving. I find the best seats to be those in my '88 944... supportive but softer than the Boxster's (even though they're shaped quite similar). And I measured the widths of the Boxster's and 944's seat... the Boxster is 18" wide at the ribs and the 944 is 19" wide at the ribs. Hmm...