So my racer friend Bill Cooper is trying to con me into going all the way to Montana for the Pioneer Mountains Hill Climb on 11-12 September, where he's going to be running his semi-race Corvette C5.
So I'm asking him about the way his C5 is prepared (gosh, the engine appears to be making a lot of noise for a stock V8, Mr. Cooper), and naturally this leads us to talking about the driver seat, which our guys here complain bitterly about.
Cooper allows that he thought about putting a racing seat in his car, but he came to his senses pretty quickly. First of all, he says that it wouldn't be much fun sitting in a hard shell of a seat during the long rally-type events that he's run. And second, a seat with tall thigh bolsters would be just about impossible to get into, as the car's wide, wide door sill plus the seat bolsters would be an impossible barrier.
It's easy to criticize this car for its La-Z-boy seat, but we forget that the Corvette's primary structure lies in its wide door sills, the design feature that lets the car sit so close to the ground. And as much as we criticize this car's seat for its lack of support in the corners, its recliner-style shape and padding are crucial to our ability to drive this car every day without facing a gymnastics challenge every time we get behind the wheel.
Would love to drive our Z06 all the way to Polaris, Montana, for Cooper's hillclimb (could even run it in the event, he says), but the travel distance seems like a lot for 12 miles of racing. At least it's a reminder of the kind of thing you're supposed to do if you own a Corvette, especially a Z06.
Finally I ask Cooper what he's going to do with his stock seat, which he has fit with a six-point racing harness. "Pretty much what you do in any race car," he says. "Just cinch down the belts tight and hang on."
Michael Jordan, Executive Editor, Edmunds.com @ 50,564 miles.
lostboyz says:
08:37 AM, 08/27/10
I've sat in an exige, and they aren't uncomfortable. Its somewhat of a challenge getting in and out, but if you are racing the car, get a racing seat. Comfort doesn't mean a thing when you keep slamming into the door or center tunnel on every turn.
srlracing says:
09:23 AM, 08/27/10
Yeah I don't quite get the complaints about Corvette seats. Yeah they are a little flimsy but they are a good middle ground in between sport and comfort. Hell most the real race cars I have owned have not even had seats and subject the driver to considerably more force than any production car. Just lay down on the floor and the fuel cell and as your buddy Cooper says "Just cinch down the belts tight and hang on."
anythngbutgm says:
11:48 AM, 08/27/10
In my experience with a couple of vettes from different years, the seats are fine but the Ingress/Egress, ergonomics and visibility are the absolute worst.
Everyone complains about the el cheapo interior but that's the least of it's flaws IMO.
mmmmmmmm3 says:
02:10 PM, 08/27/10
There is a big difference between a "sport" seat with good support and a fixed back racing seat. I wouldn't put a fixed seat in a street car either but something like a Recaro sport seat would be perfect for the Vette. Check out the seats in an M3 or a 911 for examples of good compromise sport seats.
Your friend should get a race seat is he is serious about going fast on track. You can cinch belts all you want but if your legs are flailing or you are bracing your body, you are losing time on track.
dang8 says:
04:29 PM, 08/27/10
There exists a simple solution: Have the factory seats reupholstered. Specifically, install more dense seat foam but retain the stock shape of the seat. Then, have the seats upholstered in high-quality leather. Done. This option would retain the stock look and practicality of the factory seats for less money than aftermarket racing seats but would certainly be an upgrade from what you have now.
stingray454 says:
06:28 AM, 08/29/10
There are several aftermarket seat options available for the C5 Z06 that bolt right in.
Arizen Racing: http://www.arizenracingsports.com/page/arizen/CTGY/C5-C6
Caravaggio: http://www.caravaggiocorvettes.com/
I have the Arizen Racing seats in mine, and I love them. They are a little more difficult to get in and out of, and you can't be fat with these (any more than a 36 waist and forget it). But they are very comfortable, even on long trips, and they hold you in place 10 times better than the stockers. Plus, they look much better, and have nice leather and suede. I combined mine with 5 point racing harnesses and harness bar which allow me to keep the stock seatbelts too. Best of both worlds. I use the 5-points on the track, and the stock seatbelt on the street for daily driving duty.
The SCCA did a study a while ago with lap times around an auto-x course: same car, same course, same driver - the only difference was the seats. The times improved significantly just by changing the seats to more supportive ones. They attributed it to the driver sliding around in the base seats gave the impression to the driver that the CAR was sliding or losing its grip, when in fact it was simply the driver moving around in the car in the seat. Having driven my car on the track with both the stock seats and the aftermarket seats, I can definitely agree with the SCCA's conclusion. Seats can make a big difference!