911rox

You may have misunderstood what I was trying to say MaxLTV. SAB may not be mandated in the US or other countries BUT in many countries, if a manufacturer has fitted airbags as standard, the law does not allow for them to be removed or the vehicle is considered unroadworthy. This will vary from country to country, state to state... You'd have to check circumstances where you live.

As I've said previously, I ordered my car with the standard sport seats with the specific intention of going aftermarket at one third the cost. i later discovered when shopping for seats that it would make my car unroadworthy. Local authorities confirmed....

Macca

You'd think the aftermarket guys would be designing seats (with airbags) to address this hole in the market...

mdrums

MaxLTV, very good point but the issue is that you have to mess with the airbag function on a car that was approved in the USA with these side impact air bags. Lots of grey area and here in the USA where everyone is law suit happy and lawyers are plentiful I don't have the time or money to fight them in court.

Z356

There is an airbag on each Porsche's 997's/991's doors for sure! Top of door panel. Side curtain bag that goes up! But Porsche has designed their primary 911 'safety net' mostly around the front airbags (steering wheel & dash) and side air bags on their seats! The latter moves WITH you in the seat, of course, thus insuring a perfect position to do it's job at all times! It's always optimally located where it can best protect your 'thorax'. That would not work as effectively if just located on the door panels!

Not all manufacturers follow the same airbag placement formula as Porsche. On my '11 Audi R8, airbags are NOT located on door panels at all! The R8 seat's side air bag is larger and it does two functions - thorax and window curtain! So it's bigger and shaped differently than the smaller Porsche seat airbags!

Saludos,
Eduardo

Z356

No. They don't want the liability. The latter is 'huge' if the airbags do not work correctly or fail to deploy at all. Think it through. They will not offer airbags in an aftermarket seat! They are too smart to do that.

Saludos,
Eduardo

mooty

eduardo, great informative as usual.
in regard to female buckle for the euro club non foldable GT3 seats v. CGT seat, you can thread it anyway you want. the buckle is very pliable. on some of my friend's CGT, we pull it though the hole. if driver is thin, it's much better to go through hole bc then the belt is tight on your body. also, the shoulder belt routing... most route it outside the seat, i like my through the seat..

finally any seat can be bolted to just about any car. BUT the air bag safety and legal issues become your prob, no manufacturers or insurance's.

StirlingMoss

Thanks for confirming. I thought it was only a matter of threading it inside or outside, but Eduardo seemed so convincing in his knowledge I refrained from starting an argument Last time he threatened sending the Albanian mafia after me so I am trying to keep my calm.

On the 997 there is a very little space between the bucket seat and the center console and hence I believe it has to be threaded inside (on the 996 and Carrera GT there is certainly more space).

mooty

my comments are from OWN experience. safe/correct or not, it's up to the user.
eduardo usually bases his comment on data, as he's more of a scientist than i who flies by the seat of my pants!

so, dont trust me too much

Macca

Eduardo. Surely not. Why would after market manufactures make airbag steering wheels if this is the case. In fact why would ANYONE make airbags if this was the case? Dont Sparco and Recaro make factory seats for Porsche, Lambo and Ferrari anymore?

I come from a non litigious society (for better or for worse) and cannot understand much of this. Surely you risk more walking down the beach at Santa Monica at 6 am in the morning than you do in the off chance that the aftermarket Recaro sports seat you bought with airbags doesnt function property in a side impact.

I fear its reasons like these we have heavier cars, with automatic transmissions and large bulbous overhangs these days...

StirlingMoss

Recaro make the seats for Porsche (at least for the 911, Cayman and Boxster). Recaro also offer aftermarket seat with side airbag. From comfy sofa to GT2-bucket-style.

911rox

SM, do you have links to or names of aftermarket Recaros with airbags that are racing seats. Searced high and low but can't find a thing....

StirlingMoss

I have not seen real racing seats with airbag. Racing does not need to comply with road legal requirements, hence you get a shell and a cloth to sit on There are GT2 style seats with side airbag:

http://www.recaro-automotive.com/pro...rtster-cs.html

Looks very similar to the Audi sport buckets.

Bill_C4S

The coverage area of the R8 passenger side airbag looks huge - notwithstanding scale differences - versus the 911...almost wraps around the occupant...intrigued as to why Audi went this route

911rox

Shame that they don't accomodate 5-6 pt harnesses like GT2 seats good on Recaro for offering the option though...

Jon70

Trust me, your society is for the better being non litigious.