Luxury Seat Swap for Daily Driver

[Panici]

Swapping to fixed-back bolstered bucket seats is frequently discussed for performance cars.
I want to hear from anyone who has gone the other way for a daily driver.


My E36 driver's seat is completely blown out after 25 years and more then 400,000km.
Combine that with slammed suspension and my back is taking a beating.

Lets talk aftermarket or even OEM seats from another make/model that you have personally tried.
What is out there to provide significant cushion and necessary back support?

I'm willing to fabricate seat mounts/rails. Just need the seat dimensions to physically fit in the car.

[twright]

I still like E30 sport seat seats better than anything.

The seats in my wife's 2015 Lexus CT200h are a close second.

[AWDBOB]

A buddy swapped E90 sport seats into his E30- they felt quite nice but dulled the experience a bit. But in an E36 I feel like that'd be a perfect choice to meet the needs you're seeking. Very supportive/comfortable, and dimensions would be just about perfect for the E36.

E30 sport seats are still the best seats I've ever sat in- would be quite funny to put E30 sports in an E36.

I had 993 seats recently that were quite nice to look at..... comfort was very meh. E34 seats I had were meh.

Even most of the newer cars I've sat in/driven don't hold up to E30 sports.

[82eye]

aren't recaro speed seats the ones used in the evo ? they're a modern wingback sport seat and shouldn't be too hard to source.

[2mAn]

The mk2 VW Recaros are quite comfortable but are also sought after... could try and find a set from a mk4. Those aren’t bad either. Probably heavy because of the air bags

[Northern]

I'd probably aim for sport seats from any newer 3er that you find comfy. Obviously a set that's heated/leather/etc lol

[AceAndrew777]

Probably not in the budget.... but just in case, when I was at GMG and the Porsche GT3 guys who didn't opt for the carbon buckets still wanted something stiffer than their comfort seats, we would swap in Sparco SPX's. They were really comfy, yet planted.

[ome30]

As long as the fitment issues are solved for the E90 seats, I think they're the best bet. Having daily-ed quite a few of them, sport seats with the lumbar option is the way to go IMO

[DEV0 E30]

I guess it comes down to budget. I'm in the same boat but want reclining ability (even though I don't need it for ingress/egress as I've got 4 doors.) I just assume that reclining seat = max comfort + adjustability.

Reclining seats... off the top of my head:

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Scheelmann Sportline R seats?

Igor at Catuned threw a pair into their Sema E30 M3. I'm sure someone from Catuned can chime in.

Speedhunters Article: http://www.speedhunters.com/2022/11/...atuned-e30-m3/

Scheelmann is big in the overland community, and people say they are the most comfortable seats they've ever had, they cost a pretty penny but I had the scratch and don't go some form of Recaro, these are my dream seats.

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Recaro LSc / LSb / LSx?

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I loved my FK8 Typer R seats, the "sport-line" from across the pond (UK) models came in black instead of red, but shipping and costs would be nuts, and I'm not sure if they'd fit in an E30.

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As others have said, honestly E30 sport seats are great. My only complaint is their cost now. If I'm going to find some, get them repaired/recovered --- and that is nearly or the same cost as something I like more... then I'll compare them to aftermarket.

Most newer BMW sport seats I don't care for in comparison.

[Victell]

I love my e90 seats. Minimal fabrication. And the look fits the e30 interior.

[packratbimmer]

Get a seat with real metal spring like the E30 sport seat. Foam only will never give the same suspension as a metal spring/foam combo.

[Staszek]

I have had E46 sports, E9X sports, E38 Sports, F15 Sports, G12 Sports, G07, Sports

That being said the E30 M3 seats (pretty much the same as the E30 sports) I have in my E30 are perfect for the car and really very comfortable. I had mine redone with new leather and foam and they feel great!

I can see if you are a larger guy they may be a bit tight, but still one of the most comfortable seats I have driven in.

[bangn]

I had e90 comfort seats and now have e91 msport seats, honestly perfect size tbh and hold you well. Plus with the pullout support its a bit of a nod to the earlier sport seats.

Just make sure you dont pick a set with memory controls, you want manual slide but electric raise and tilt. This way all you need is power and ground for everything to work, memory function seats are a bit of a pita to wire up. If you can try get hold of the seatbelt anchor that bolts to the e9x seat under the plastic cover - usually wreckers will just cut the belt to get the seat out, that way you can get the belts re stitched to suit the anchor for the e9x seats. Looks so much neater that way . The e30 anchors are just huge