I have a Porsche Boxster 981. I am looking to fit Recaro seats. What do I need?
Seat fitting guide
This is a question we get often: a Boxster 981 owner wants Recaro seats and asks what else to buy. The seat most people have in mind is the Recaro Sportster CS, a reclining sport seat that suits a car driven quickly on the road and taken on the odd track day.
The answer comes in three parts: the seat, a Planted Technology bracket made for the car, and a pair of Recaro sliding runners. This guide covers each one, the checks to make before the factory seats come out, and how the job goes together.
- The seat most 981 owners ask about is the Recaro Sportster CS, part 410.00
- It is a reclining Road and Track seat on Recaro's 405mm by 290mm base pattern, sold as seat only
- Recaro seats go straight on Planted brackets; Planted's SB017 family covers the Boxster
- Add Recaro sliding runners between bracket and seat, one per seat
- A side airbag version of the Sportster CS is available for cars that need one
- Send us the registration or model year and we will name the exact bracket
What is on this page
Why the Sportster CS suits the Boxster
The Sportster CS is Recaro’s most focused street seat. It is not a stripped racing bucket: it reclines, with the backrest adjusted on both sides, and it takes both a three point belt and a four point harness. Recaro have fitted it as factory equipment to cars like the Ford Focus RS, which tells you the kind of use it is built for.
That makes it a good match for a mid engined car like the Boxster. The side and shoulder bolsters are firm and well defined, so you are held properly through a corner, yet it is still easy to get in and out of for daily use. It has an integrated upholstered headrest, and the backrest release sits in the belt guide slot so it does not break up the shoulder line.
The seat itself
The Sportster CS has a hybrid shell: a steel frame core with polymer materials including carbon, Kevlar and GRP around it. It weighs around 14.7kg, so it is not a lightweight seat, and that is the trade for a seat that reclines and works every day.
There are three trims: black Ambla leather, Ambla leather with black Dinamica suede, or Nardo and Artista cloth. The suede combination adds grip where you need it on track. It suits all heights and waist sizes, and each seat is ordered for the driver or passenger side.
If your Boxster’s factory seats have a side airbag and you want to keep one, the Sportster CS is also made with a side airbag, and with heating. The airbag version connects to the car’s wiring, so tell us the car and the side when you order.
The bracket: Planted Technology
The Sportster CS is sold as seat only and base mounts on Recaro’s 405mm by 290mm pattern. Recaro seats go straight on Planted brackets, so a Planted Technology bracket is the simplest part to sit between the Boxster’s floor and the seat.
Planted’s SB017 bracket family covers the water cooled Porsches from 1998, including the Boxster, the Cayman, the 996, 997 and 991, because Porsche kept a common seat mounting arrangement through that era. There are suffixed versions within the family, so send us the registration or the model year and we will name the exact part. Planted brackets bolt to the factory seat mounting points with no drilling, and they are handed, so order one for each side.
The runners: Recaro sliders
To slide the seat forward and back you need a Recaro sliding runner between the bracket and the seat. The Recaro double locking runner gives 220mm of travel, and its lever releases both the top and bottom locks together, so the seat locks positively in place. It is priced per runner, one per seat, so order two for a pair.
Runners add a little height, and a Boxster with the roof up does not have a lot of head room for a tall driver. If you are over six foot, tell us your height and we will talk through how the seat will sit.
-
From £1,581.30 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £2,139.48 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
How the job goes together
1. Check the factory seat first. The Boxster’s seats carry airbag and occupancy wiring, and many have powered adjustment. Disconnect the battery before unplugging anything, and note what each connector does, because unplugging a seat’s wiring can bring on a warning light.
2. Take the factory seat out and keep the bolts; the Planted bracket uses the factory mounting points.
3. Build the stack on the bench. Bolt the Recaro runners to the base of the Sportster CS, then the seat and runners to the Planted bracket.
4. Fit and check. Bolt the assembly to the floor, torque every bolt, check the runners lock and the recline works, and make sure the seat belt buckle is secure and easy to reach.
Garreth’s advice is to sit in the seat before the final tighten to check the height and reach feel right. If you are not confident with airbag wiring, have a garage do the fitting. There are photos of a finished car in our post on a Boxster with Recaro CS seats, and our Porsche 964 guide covers the same seat in an older 911.
What bracket do I need for Recaro seats in a Boxster 981?
A Planted Technology bracket from the SB017 family; send us the registration and we will confirm the exact part.
Can I use a non-Planted frame with a Recaro seat?
An OMP base frame can take a Recaro with a little modification and drilling, while a Planted bracket bolts straight on. For any other frame, ask us before you order.
Do I need runners?
Yes, if you want the seat to slide. Add one Recaro sliding runner per seat.
Is there a Sportster CS with a side airbag?
Yes. It is made with a side airbag, which connects to the car’s wiring.
Is the Sportster CS FIA approved?
No. It is a Road and Track seat, not a competition homologated seat.
💬
Our Boxster 981 setupSportster CS on Planted
Recaro's street seat on a Planted bracket, with Recaro runners for adjustment.
Need a personal recommendation?
We're here to ensure you pick the right seat.
Contact us today.
