Hundreds Of Products Ready Today. Dispatch/Collection Reverie carbon seats
Reverie make handmade autoclaved carbon bucket seats in Essex, and they have been doing it for Lotus for over fifteen years. It is a small, expensive, very good range, and there is one pricing quirk in it that is worth knowing before you spend four figures: the FIA approved seat costs four pounds more than the one that is not.
The Super Sports FIA Carbon Seat is £1,253. The non FIA twin skin version of the same seat is £1,249. Four pounds. And the one described as FIA Fabric Trimmed is £1,499 and is not FIA approved, because the FIA part is the fabric. Read those three listings carefully before choosing.
A carbon shop that happens to make seats
ReVerie Ltd are a carbon composite manufacturer at Colchester in Essex. Seats are one part of what they do, alongside wings, splitters, air boxes and steering wheels, and they also repair carbon to an OEM standard.
Every seat is autoclaved carbon and handmade on site, which is the reason for both the price and the finish. The Lotus connection goes back over fifteen years, from the Elise S1 through to the S3, plus the Exige, the 2-Eleven and the 340R, and it is still where most of these seats end up.
Two things about how the range is put together catch people out. The model names carry the shell construction, B for single skin and C for twin skin, and the seats are supplied as bare shells with the cushion kits sold separately. Neither is a problem once you know, but both change what you put in the basket.
Autoclaved carbon, handmade on site. Seats alongside wings, splitters, air boxes and steering wheels.
Elise S1 through S3, Exige, 2-Eleven and 340R, plus the Vauxhall and Opel VX220 and Speedster.
B is single skin, which is the cost reduction. C is twin skin with a polished carbon frame.
Thirteen cushion kits from £52.27 to £376.35, velcro fixed so they come out for cleaning.
Six things to recognise
A small range with a lot of variants. The names tell you the shell, the shape and whether there is a headrest.
01Super Sports
The important one, because it is the only FIA seat here. £1,253 approved to 8855-1999, against £1,249 for the non FIA twin skin. Single or twin skin, 4, 5 or 6 point harness, FHR compatible.
02Mulsanne
The volume seat, £779 for the single skin B and £1,006.95 for the twin skin C, with low back versions of both. Non FIA, so track days and road use. Lotus subframe kits available.
03GT
A step up in shape, £827.95 for the B single skin and £1,199 for the C twin skin low back. Same construction choices, more support through the leg and kidney area.
04X and XR
The narrow shells, £1,101.45 to £2,094. The XR C with a headrest in fabric is £1,888.95 and in leather £2,094, which is the top of the range.
05Cushion kits
Thirteen of them, £52.27 to £376.35. Foam trim, FIA spacer fabric, brushed nylon, Technosuede and leather, in narrow and wide, with eight stitching colours. Velcro fixed.
06Subframes and mounts
Lotus subframe conversion kits at £72.44 and £75.25, billet aluminium Super Sports mounts at £549 a pair, alloy monoblock at £109.15 and steel at £76.07.
Four questions, and the first one is worth £250
This is a range where reading the listing title properly saves real money.
Do you want the FIA one? Because it is £4
The Super Sports FIA Carbon Seat is £1,253 and carries FIA 8855-1999. The Super Sports Carbon Twin Skin listed as Non FIA is £1,249. That is four pounds between an approved seat and an unapproved one, at the same construction and the same shape. Then there is a third listing, the Super Sports Twin Skin FIA Fabric Trimmed, at £1,499, and despite the name that seat is not FIA approved either. The FIA part of that name is the fabric. If you are spending this much on carbon, take the approved seat, unless you have specifically fallen for the trim.
Single skin or twin skin, B or C?
The letter in the model name is the shell. B is single skin and C is twin skin. Reverie are open about why single skin exists: it reduces the cost while keeping the seat stiff and light. A Mulsanne B is £779 and a Mulsanne C is £1,006.95, so it is £227.95 for the second skin and the polished carbon frame that comes with it. For a road or track day car the B is a perfectly serious seat and it is where most people land.
Budget for the cushions separately
Reverie supply the seats as shells. The cushion kits are separate and there are thirteen of them, so this is a real decision rather than an afterthought. A foam trim kit is £52.27, FIA spacer fabric or brushed nylon is £165.17, Technosuede is £175.92 and full leather runs £353.78 to £376.35. They attach with velcro, so they come out to be cleaned, and there are eight stitching colours. Match narrow or wide to the seat you have chosen.
Then the subframe, especially on a Lotus
If the car is an Elise, Exige, 2-Eleven, V6 Exige, VX220 or Speedster, the subframe conversion kits at £72.44 and £75.25 are what you want. They convert the standard Lotus non double shear subframe to support 3, 4, 5 and 6 point harnesses to A340 spec, move the seat forward by 40mm and come with all the fixings. On anything else, the billet Super Sports mounts at £549 a pair are FIA tested with the seat, weigh 970 grams each and will fit most 288 to 290mm centre side mount seats.
Four pounds. That is the difference between the FIA Reverie Super Sports and the non FIA one, and I have had to point it out to people who were about to buy the wrong one. And then there is a third seat with FIA in the title that is not approved at all, because the FIA bit refers to the fabric, and it costs two hundred and forty six quid more than the one that is. It is a lovely range and the naming is the only thing wrong with it, so read the listings and ring us if any of it reads oddly.
Cameron, GSM PerformanceThe three Super Sports listings, side by side
FIA approved at £1,253, non FIA twin skin at £1,249, and FIA fabric trimmed but non FIA at £1,499. Compare them here rather than from separate pages. The billet side mounts at the end are FIA tested with the seat and weigh 970 grams each.
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From £1,253.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
From £779
Mulsanne B and GT B, each in standard and low back. Single skin carbon and GRP, stiff and light, and Reverie are clear that this is the version built to bring the price down. Non FIA, so track days and road use, and the natural choice for a Lotus that gets driven.
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From £807.45 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
From £1,006.95
Mulsanne C, Mulsanne CM, Mulsanne C low back and the GT C low back. Twin skin carbon with a polished carbon frame, more support through the leg and kidney area, and harness slots designed around a head and neck restraint.
The narrow shells and the top of the range
X C and XR C twin skin narrow at £1,101.45 and £1,321.90, then the XR C with a headrest, in fabric at £1,888.95 and in leather at £2,094. These are the ones for a tight cockpit, and the leather XR is the most expensive seat Reverie make.
Budget for these separately
FIA spacer fabric and brushed nylon at £165.17, Technosuede at £175.92 and smooth Nappa leather at £365.07. All velcro fixed so they come out for cleaning, and all available with black, red, blue, green, grey, orange, white or yellow stitching.
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From £165.17 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £165.17 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £175.92 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
From £52.27
The wide versions of the FIA spacer and Technosuede kits, then the two foam trim kits at £52.27 and £58.19, which are the cheapest way to get a bare shell usable. Match narrow or wide to the seat rather than to your preference.
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From £175.92 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
The Lotus conversions
The Mulsanne B kit at £75.25 covers Elise, Exige, 2-Eleven, V6 Exige and VX220 and Speedster. The C version at £72.44 covers Elise and Exige S2 and S3. Both convert the standard non double shear subframe for harness use and move the seat forward 40mm.
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From £75.25 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
The three Super Sports seats
| Super Sports FIA | Super Sports Twin Skin | FIA Fabric Trimmed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,253 | £1,249 | £1,499 |
| FIA approved | Yes, 8855-1999 | No | No |
| Shell | Single or twin skin | Twin skin | Twin skin |
| Trim | As listed | As listed | FIA quality fabric |
| Harness | 4, 5 or 6 point | 4, 5 or 6 point | 4, 5 or 6 point |
| Head restraint | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible |
| Best for | Anything scrutineered | Track days and road | Road, if you want the trim |
Read the first two rows together. Four pounds separates an FIA approved carbon seat from an unapproved one of the same construction. The third column is the one to be careful with: FIA in that product name refers to the quality of the fabric and not to a homologation, and it costs £246 more than the seat that genuinely has one.
Four numbers worth knowing
Reverie seats are shells, so the parts list is longer than the seat listing suggests.
Common questions about Reverie seats
Who are Reverie?▾
ReVerie Ltd, a carbon composite manufacturer at Colchester in Essex. All of their autoclaved carbon seats are handmade on site, and they have been building aftermarket carbon bucket seats for Lotus for over fifteen years, from the Elise S1 through to the S3, plus Exige, 2-Eleven and 340R. They also do carbon repair work to an OEM standard.
Is the FIA seat really only £4 more?▾
Yes, and it is the single most useful thing on this page. The Super Sports FIA Carbon Seat is £1,253 and carries FIA 8855-1999. The Super Sports Carbon Twin Skin in the non FIA version is £1,249. Four pounds between them. If you are buying a carbon Reverie at that level and there is any chance at all of being scrutineered, take the approved one. There is no sensible reason not to.
What is the FIA Fabric Trimmed version then?▾
A non FIA seat with an FIA quality fabric trim on it, at £1,499. The name reads the wrong way round, so to be clear, that seat is £246 more than the seat that is actually FIA approved and it is not FIA approved itself. The fabric is the FIA part, not the homologation. Lovely trim, but read the listing.
What do B and C mean in the model names?▾
Shell construction. B is single skin and C is twin skin. A Mulsanne B is £779 and a Mulsanne C is £1,006.95, and Reverie describe the single skin as the version that reduces cost while staying stiff and light. Twin skin adds a second carbon skin and a polished carbon frame. Both are handmade autoclaved carbon and both are non FIA in the Mulsanne and GT ranges.
Do the seats come trimmed?▾
No, and this catches people. Reverie seats are supplied as shells and the cushion kits are a separate purchase. There are thirteen of them, from a £52.27 foam trim kit up to £376.35 for smooth Nappa leather, and they attach with velcro so they come out for cleaning. Everything in between is FIA spacer fabric, brushed nylon, Technosuede and full leather, with a choice of stitching colours.
Narrow or wide cushions?▾
Match the kit to the seat. Reverie list narrow and wide versions of most cushion kits at the same or nearly the same price, so the decision is the seat you have bought rather than the money. The X and XR seats are the narrow ones and the Mulsanne and GT take either depending on version, so check before you order.
Will one fit my Lotus?▾
That is what the brand is built around. There are subframe conversion kits at £72.44 and £75.25 covering the Elise, Exige, 2-Eleven, V6 Exige and the Vauxhall and Opel VX220 and Speedster. They convert the standard Lotus non double shear subframe to support 3, 4, 5 and 6 point harnesses, to A340 spec, and they move the seat position forward by 40mm. All fixings are included.
What side mounts do they take?▾
The billet aluminium Super Sports subframes at £549 a pair have been FIA tested with the Super Sports seat and weigh 970 grams each, and they fit most 288 to 290mm centre side mounted seats from other manufacturers too. If that is more than you want to spend, the universal alloy monoblock mounts are £109.15 a pair and the black steel ones £76.07.
Tell us the car and whether it gets scrutineered
On a Lotus the subframe answer follows straight from the model and year, and on anything else it is a side mount question. The scrutineering answer decides whether you want the Super Sports FIA, which is only four pounds above the one that is not. Ring and ask for Cameron and we will price the shell, the cushions and the mounting together.
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