Seats too high

[Steve Tillett]

are there any pics of the seats with the tan interior ?

Not yet, I keep asking the factory to get a set made for photography so I can show customers.

 

[Speedy Emira]

Sorry I forgot to answer the fold forward question.
They don't fold forward of course. But they are on a manually operated runners. So you can still get your bags in the back.
I went away just last week and would say that inconvenience is a small price to pay for the feel, rigidity, support and dare I say comfort.
All up it is also 30 kgs saved and a much lower driving position if you want it.

Hi Steve,

I think you save even more weight with your because unless the information I read was incorrect I found the following:

Emira OEM seats 26kg
Sparko SPX carbon recliners 12.7kg
Tillett B10 carbon buckets 4.5kg

It certainly shows the OEM seats were not designed to be as light as they could as the SPX are just minus the motors and have carbon shells. To drop the recliner option and a load of padding makes a massive difference to get to your seats weight. My Border Terrier weighs more than your seats.

 

[Steve Tillett]

Hi Steve,

I think you save even more weight with your because unless the information I read was incorrect I found the following:

Emira OEM seats 26kg
Sparko SPX carbon recliners 12.7kg
Tillett B10 carbon buckets 4.5kg

It certainly shows the OEM seats were not designed to be as light as they could as the SPX are just minus the motors and have carbon shells. To drop the recliner option and a load of padding makes a massive difference to get to your seats weight. My Border Terrier weighs more than your seats.

Don't forget you must add the weight of the brackets and runners. It's 30kg saved including all these and the panels.
We always use two shells that are accurately matched and these have densely filled composite, which is largely void free. This gives the rigidity, strength and weight saving, so when its coupled with a hand sculptured shape that loads the body only in places which can take the load, you do not actually need padding. The padded panels do add about a kg and are recommended for the road, but if you always live your life by Colin Chapmans famous philosophy you can get a 3.3 kg carbon B9 or even a 3.8 kg B7 XL FIA seat.

 

[Speedy Emira]

Don't forget you must add the weight of the brackets and runners. It's 30kg saved including all these and the panels.
We always use two shells that are accurately matched and these have densely filled composite, which is largely void free. This gives the rigidity, strength and weight saving, so when its coupled with a hand sculptured shape that loads the body only in places which can take the load, you do not actually need padding. The padded panels do add about a kg and are recommended for the road, but if you always live your life by Colin Chapmans famous philosophy you can get a 3.3 kg carbon B9 or even a 3.8 kg B7 XL FIA seat.

At some point I need to do a trip to Kent and come and try some of your seats out Steve.

 

[Porter]

But then it would be tipped backwards unless you countered it with another spacer in the back.

There should be a way to make runners that slide forward at an incline without changing the seat angle.

I believe there are multiple side mount positions on the brackets, so you could angle the rail by lifting the front, and then compensate by lowering the front of the seat in the brackets. See the photo Steve posted above, looks like there are 4 positions on the side brackets. It would require some trial and error.

 

[LuckysDad]

It's really a shame that Lotus didn't use the Sparcos from the Evora GT in the Emira. Those things are supportive, comfortable and look the part.
If I didn't have Ice Grey interior I'd swap them out for sure.

 

[RyanGphoto]

It's really a shame that Lotus didn't use the Sparcos from the Evora GT in the Emira. Those things are supportive, comfortable and look the part.
If I didn't have Ice Grey interior I'd swap them out for sure.

That's my thoughts as well. But I do need the folding part too. I like to have my seats reclined a bit.

 

[driv300mph]

It's really a shame that Lotus didn't use the Sparcos from the Evora GT in the Emira. Those things are supportive, comfortable and look the part.
If I didn't have Ice Grey interior I'd swap them out for sure.

Totally agree, and I prefer manual seats... not only lighter, but way quicker to adjust. Electric is painfully slow

 

[Time2Fly]

That's my thoughts as well. But I do need the folding part too. I like to have my seats reclined a bit.

I absolutely need the folding part. Money earmarked for Tillet when (if) they happen.

 

[RyanGphoto]

I absolutely need the folding part. Money earmarked for Tillet when (if) they happen.

Agreed!

 

[Speedy Emira]

I absolutely need the folding part. Money earmarked for Tillet when (if) they happen.

I must be missing something here, is Steve making a lightweight recliner seat?
The trimming is a pain because previously I was going to buy the Sparco SPX and they didn’t trim in different materials even if you supplied it and my local top trimmers were £1200 a seat pushing the installed total to £9k. That would get me the JUBU wing and splitter fitted and ppf so it’s a lot of money.

 

[Steve Tillett]

I must be missing something here, is Steve making a lightweight recliner seat?
The trimming is a pain because previously I was going to buy the Sparco SPX and they didn’t trim in different materials even if you supplied it and my local top trimmers were £1200 a seat pushing the installed total to £9k. That would get me the JUBU wing and splitter fitted and ppf so it’s a lot of money.

We do not have a recliner and most of you would have sold the car before we have that one developed. I have not really seen a need for our seats to recline as such, because you either buy a seat like the B10 which aids a reclined position, or a B8/B9 with a straight more standard upright lower back. The seat can be rotated and this suits most people perfectly well.
But tipping forward would be very useful for rear access. I think that would be more likely as we can keep that light.
We will do you a bespoke trim design though.

 

[Time2Fly]

That's what I'm after. I prefer a less relaxed driving position but would go all in for rear access. Got to get those bespoke cabin bags in somehow

Glad to hear it's possible.

 

[Steve Tillett]

That's what I'm after. I prefer a less relaxed driving position but would go all in for rear access. Got to get those bespoke cabin bags in somehow

Glad to hear it's possible.

You can still get the bespoke designer bags in. I did last weekend. It's just a bit of extra faffing about as you have to pull the driver seat forward and go in through the middle. There is always a way if you are a true Lotus enthusiast.

 

[Time2Fly]

I've got patience which is apparently a requirement for Lotus enthusiasm. I waited for the Lotus I wanted. I'll wait for the seats I want. Fold forward or bust. I'll take the extra weight if I can't have the needed function.

 

[Steve Tillett]

I've got patience which is apparently a requirement for Lotus enthusiasm. I waited for the Lotus I wanted. I'll wait for the seats I want. Fold forward or bust. I'll take the extra weight if I can't have the needed function.

Patience is just one of many attributes required by the genuine Lotus enthusiast.

 

[FlashingBlade]

The seats are definitely something I want to do, I'm just waiting until I get into the last year of the warranty first. I don't want to give Lotus any wriggle room while I still iron out kinks with the car. The ability to tip forward would be welcome, but not essential though.

Has the issue of coding the airbags out been resolved yet?

 

[Steve Tillett]

The seats are definitely something I want to do, I'm just waiting until I get into the last year of the warranty first. I don't want to give Lotus any wriggle room while I still iron out kinks with the car. The ability to tip forward would be welcome, but not essential though.

Has the issue of coding the airbags out been resolved yet?

The resistors I was advised to use didn't work but I have since received some plugs from Greg's Race Parts. I have fitted them so when my car goes into the dealer, I will get them to reset things and see if it's gone. Given the choice of a notification on the dash and putting those spongy efforts back in, I'll put up with the light but I realise it needs sorting out for most people.

 

[RyanGphoto]

Thanks Steve for your continued updates. I personally prefer a much more relaxed driving position, but would just love to be LOWER in the car so I can see out the back window myself.

I also don't want to change out the seats while under warranty for now, unless I can get everything I want with an upgrade.

Looking forward to seeing more of your products. Hopefully one day I can sit in a seat of yours IN a car and check it out, maybe that would change my mind.

Ryan G

 

[Steve Tillett]

Thanks Steve for your continued updates. I personally prefer a much more relaxed driving position, but would just love to be LOWER in the car so I can see out the back window myself.

I also don't want to change out the seats while under warranty for now, unless I can get everything I want with an upgrade.

Looking forward to seeing more of your products. Hopefully one day I can sit in a seat of yours IN a car and check it out, maybe that would change my mind.

Ryan G

There does not seem to be a warranty issue when you take the seats out. I’ve had plenty of warranty work since fitting them and the only comment from Bell and Covill is that they wanted to stock them. I’m 100% certain that if you were to sit in the car with the B10XL’s in, you would never want the spongy ones back.