can someone please explain to my dumba** what the diff is betw "sport buckets" and "GT3/GT2 sport seats"?? all i know is i see the latter for sale at suncoast etc for $4-7k, but if "sport buckets" are cheaper and can still accommodate harnesses then i'd go for them.

sorry for the ignorance. :/

 

Here's a brief rundown of Porsche factory seat options from bottom to top...:

At the very bottom end of the spectrum you've got the standard Porsche "Standard Seats" and their powered cousins "Electronically Adjustable Seats." These seats are the stock seats that you get if you don't spec anything nicer. Aside from price, their main appeal is that they're the only option if you want a car with the ventilated seats option. One step up from those are the "Sport Seats" and their powered cousins, the "Adaptive Sport Seats" which are a little tighter around your shoulders and hold you in a little bit better. None of those four options can be used with a harness.

Moving into the realm of harness-capable seats...

There's the "Sport Bucket Seats" (available in new cars) which are also called the "GT2 Leather Bucket Seats" (because they were first seen in the 997 GT2). These are $6200 (cloth) or $6700 (leather). They can be used with a harness, but they offer two conveniences not normally seen in a harness-compatible seat -- they fold forward so you don't completely lose access to the rear of the car and they have side airbag protection. I think that for a car that will still be driven on the street from time to time (with the three point lap belt) this is a huge deal because in the event you have an accident you won't ever have to explain to some insurance company why you removed some of the factory impact protection (the side airbags) from your car.

If you're comfortable without side airbags (which are pointless if you're harnessed in) and don't care if the seats can fold forward, you can go cheaper with 996 GT3 Seats. These have no side airbags, don't fold forward, but they cost a lot less $4500. They're also lighter (marginally) than the sport bucket seats. I think they're pretty ugly, too, but there's no accounting for taste.

Finally, if money is no object, the absolute lightest factory seats are the European GT3 Seats for a cool $13.5K.

 

thanks NUGGET! and crap...because it looks like i'd want to go with the more expensive GT2 seats just for the airbag. i'm assuming no other aftermarket seats have the airbag?

one thing i have heard with the GT2 seats is they are not height adjustable at all (even during install, etc). i am slightly under 6 foot and am concerned about passing the "broom handle" test with my helmet on. i guess i need to find someone with the seats and test it myself...

 

You're right, they're not adjustable for height or seatback angle; reach only. Mine fit me perfectly, but obviously that means nothing to you. Definitely try to find someone who has them to see if they work for you.

 

I track my 911, doing about 30 DE's since Sept. 08. My track prep includes switching out the stock seats to Recaro Pole Position seats, six point harnesses, DAS bolt-in roll bar and fire extinguisher. I wear an SFI nomex driver suit also.

This plus a brake pad swap and switching to track wheels takes me about 2-3 hours including an oil change and brake bleed the day before the event.

 

whoa! you do all this before and after each DE?? you're my inspiration. do you by chance have any pix of install or steps/info to follow if i decide to DIY?

 

For the price of seats, harnesses, track wheels and tires, and rollbar, you could buy a 944 Spec race car AND not mind if it gets wadded up by accident.

 

Recaro Sportster CS is available with side airbags as an option.

 

 

 

I had a set of these on order but it turned out that Recaro was using Takata airbags and needed to re-engineer/approve a new side airbag manufacturer, so I gave up.