Jimmy Pribble

<center><img src="http://www.urs4.com/logbook/RS2CQ/Sparco/110_1073_small.JPG"></center><p>Until I actually get the seat installed in the car, this is actually a first impression, rather than a full review. More photos are at the link.

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I finally pulled the trigger on a racing seat for my Audi eS2 race car. I had mostly decided on Sparco based on their reputation, one-piece GRP construction (vs. tube-frame or aluminum), and FIA rating. I was considering less-expensive seats, but this was an area of safety and comfort on which I did not want to compromise. Once I decided on Sparco, the model choice was easy. The brand new Sparco Circuit competition seat, with an integrated lateral head support design was very appealing to me. This is a brand new model, so these seats are difficult to find in the US. I finally ordered from RallyNuts in the UK.

Nick James at RallyNuts gave me outstanding customer service throughout the purchase process and then through the tracking of the shipment. The price of the seat was so good, that even with the high shipping and insurance charge from the UK, the seat and aluminum mounts cost less than Sparco's suggested list price of just the seat. Shipping was also much quicker than I expected. I received my order five days from when I was first notified that it had shipped. I was also able to track the order online. I can fully recommend and support RallyNuts. That sounded funny, didn't it?

This is the advertising copy from the Sparco USA website:



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Truly the ultimate competition seat. Developed in collaboration with the top racing teams in the world, the unique design of the Circuit offers the driver the ultimate in comfort, control and protection. The integrated impact absorbing head restraint feature combined with the unparalleled lateral support, the Circuit is fast on its way to becoming the most widely used seat in road and rally racing. Other features include fire retardant covers with anti-slip fabric in the shoulder and seat areas, pre-formed thigh support to keep legs in the optimum position and special shock absorbing material in the head and side areas.

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The seat consists of a fiberglass shell, covered with padding and a removable fabric cover. There are also five large plastic grommets, through which the safety harness passes. A one-piece competition seat is so simple that I would be hard-pressed to find any areas of improvement, assuming the integrity of the shell and the mounting is sound. The cover seems to be sturdy and stitched to a tight fit over the seat and padding. The seat back and bottom are held in place with Velcro for easy removal and the whole cover can be removed for cleaning, modification, or replacement. I'm very pleased with the overall appearance and quality of this seat.

The only problem area that I can see so far is one of my own making. Though I have sat and fit snugly into a Sparco Evo, not all seats are created equal, especially with regard to size. Because, the Circuit is relatively new and difficult to find, and because I don't live in an area with much in the way of well-outfitted speed shops, I was not able to test fit this seat and I did not carefully check the fitment chart. It turns out that the Circuit is one of the slimmest seats that Sparco makes. I'm 5'11", 185 lbs, and have a 34" waist. My hips just barely fit into this seat. The fit is so tight that I'm not so much sitting in the seat as I am wedged into it. After checking the size charts, I discovered that even though both the Evo and the Circuit are rated for medium-sized drivers, the Circuit is almost a whopping 2 inches slimmer than the Evo (see measurement "Z" in the chart below). I was in a hurry to finish preparation of my race car and my impatience and carelessness has probably cost me some discomfort. Short HPDE sessions and sprint races will be fine, but endurance racing in this seat is out of the question. If Sparco releases a larger "Circuit 2" seat, I will certainly consider trading-up. In the mean time, the seat is generously padded, so I can probably remove some padding for a better fit. A diet probably wouldn't kill me here, either.

A note about the weight of these seats (Sparco claims 16.75 lbs.) - I weighed my seat on a professional digital postage scale in my office print shop and it showed 23 lbs. even! I'm guessing Sparco weighs the seat without padding, cover, belt guides or hardware of any kind - in other words, just the shell. I don't know this for a fact, but it is the only reason I can think of that would explain such a discrepancy.

I also ordered Sparco billet aluminum, adjustable side mounts and a Sabelt six-point harness. I will review these items and give a more detailed review of the seat when I get all of these items installed into the car (along with a proper roll cage).

Photos at the linky:

Krisko

I'm surprised you would buy a seat without sitting in it first, I hope that works out for you.

The EVO feels better than most street seats you'll sit in. It is a tad heavy because of the fiberglass construction. If interested in the EVO II, find an EVO L instead. As I understand it, it's the same seat with some minor improvements but the important thing is it has some kind of FIA rating that makes it legal for an extra year or two.

Another seat I'm going to look hard at is the Cobra (don't know model name). It's roughly the same pricing as the EVO but it's Kevlar construction so it's lighter and much stronger.

Tomasz@Startup

Getting in and out is a pain, but once moving it is great. I use it in my daily driver/track car.

Tomasz