Vader seats?

[NLR]

Why is it that the vader seats, although appearing to be very supportive under hard cornering, just don't do all that good of a job of securing the occupant(s) when taking hard corners?

After sitting in an Evo and Jetta GLI with Recaro seats, I could just tell that they would provide the support during aggressive driving.

[tpb31]

BMW had to make them for a "wide" variety of people. Also, the leather doesn't help keep you in place and the side bolsters don't wrap around your sides that much.

[Kell]

It's just another reason why BMW's are the worst cars in the world of course. :)

[ebydrc]

they are made to fit a variety of people not just you, btw how tall are you and what do you weigh?

[jmitro]

any stock reclining seat is a compromise for comfort. if you want support, get a fixed back seat

[ebydrc]

any stock reclining seat is a compromise for comfort. if you want support, get a fixed back seat

word, corbeau fx-1 pro FTW

[VNG704]

cloth holds better then leather bucket or not

[ebydrc]

suede holds and looks sexy....

[JasonM3er]

Anyone want to buy some vadars? Ha.

[VNG704]

Anyone want to buy some vadars? Ha.



i do.. how much what dove or black? fronts or backs/both?

[jmitro]

word, corbeau fx-1 pro FTW

that's what i have and i think they are a great value for the seat. can't justify paying more than twice as much for the same seat from another manufacturer

[s_ribs]

that's what i have and i think they are a great value for the seat. can't justify paying more than twice as much for the same seat from another manufacturer

Impressions please. :D

I completely agree with everyone that the Vaders do absolutely nothing but look pretty (and they do that quite well). I find it an absolute joke how cars like M3's and Porsche's (some, not all) have completely useless seats from the factory.

[jmitro]

well, after all, the factory seats are a compromise between support and comfort as well as easy entry and exit.

are you looking for impressions on the corbeau seats? i find the ride to be a little firm and the cushioning to be stiff, but not at all uncomfortable. the support seems to be pretty decent, although i have not yet used them on the track. the fit was quite difficult because corbeau's E36 brackets suck, but i finally got the side mounts to work with some modifications. HTH

[NLR]

they are made to fit a variety of people not just you, btw how tall are you and what do you weigh?

I'm 5'6 and 138-140lbs.

[Meeyatch1]

Why is it that the vader seats, although appearing to be very supportive under hard cornering, just don't do all that good of a job of securing the occupant(s) when taking hard corners?

After sitting in an Evo and Jetta GLI with Recaro seats, I could just tell that they would provide the support during aggressive driving.


If you want seats that REALLY hug you....try the new M5. A friend of mine brought over his new (115 mile) M5 today and we went for a ride. In the corners the seat bolsters actually HOLD YOU so you do not slide. By this I mean the bolster senses the forces and moves and pushes in!! It is wild!!

[NLR]

If you want seats that REALLY hug you....try the new M5. A friend of mine brought over his new (115 mile) M5 today and we went for a ride. In the corners the seat bolsters actually HOLD YOU so you do not slide. By this I mean the bolster senses the forces and moves and pushes in!! It is wild!!

I used to work at a Mercedes dealership and that same feature was on a vehicle that I test drove. It was a Mercedes E320 CDI (diesel). As if the potential owner of that car is actually going to need that.

[g60roddo]

90-92 16v GLI/GTI Reccaros are still the best seats ive ever had in a car.. Vaders are delightfully comfortable to me though, of course that could be because i've been sitting in 15 year old beat up corrado seats for the last 4 years....

[KrazyRushin]

With a normal seat belt, the vaders are useless. I put a harness on when I autocross, and they hold me perfect. the problem with the vaders is that
1) leather
2) side bolsters are too soft, need to be better reinforced
3) too big for ME

I am 5'7" and 150 lbs. The scroth quick fit belt thing harness is awesome.:buttrock Really does wonders for hard cornering. One other thing i noticed, the seats hold you much better when you have the back almost vertical and the leg piece as high in the front and low in the back as possible. It helps the bolsters do their job even though the position looks a bit odd:rolleyes . Just my .02

[TXBDan]

the best factory seats i've ridden in are the VW R32's konigs. awesome seats. i used to have an r32 and miss the seats a lot. i might as well have a bench seat for all these 'sport seats' do

[TAMUmpower]

Yea, R32 seats are real good.

Ive gotten used to thinkin my Vaders look normal but everytime someone gets into my car they are like OOOOO cool seats...o yea. And yes, I fly all over the car when I get on it.

[RRSperry]

IMO, if you find the vaders don't support you very well, I'd say you don't have them adjusted correctly. Driving in the 'homey' position is just stupid.

When I first started high performance driving and racing 15 years ago, (it can't be that long can it?) Seat positioning was stressed. Slide close enough to have you leg slightly bent while fully pressing the clutch, and the seatback upright enough that your shoulders don't come forward while your wrists touch the top of the wheel. Find the adjustment that meets those requirements and is realatively comfortable, and the vaders are really good. I only wish I had held out and ordered the optional cloth instead of the leather.

[jmitro]

compared to true track seats, the vaders really aren't very good, despite how optimal your driving position. there is minimal lateral support.

[psychocandy]

BMW most likely designed the seats for the average sized person (i.e. 6' tall, 180-200 lbs). Some of you guys are a bit on the small size. And as was mentioned previously, comfort/style was an important factor. If BMW designed the seats for track use then they would alienate potential buyers that did not intend to drive the car for this purpose. In the end, its all about sales and not loyalty to the hard-core fan base or enthusiast community.

It has been my experience that the seats hold me in place relatively well under aggressive driving. As RRSperry mentioned, proper adjustment is key as well.