A well used WRX or STI has usually done more hard driving than most performance cars twice its price, and the seats are where that shows first. The bolsters that held a driver through a gravel stage or a wet trackday twenty years ago have long since gone soft, the base has dropped, and the factory recline mechanism creaks. None of that stops the car being quick. It just means the seat is no longer doing its job.
We see two kinds of Impreza owner at the counter. One is putting a car back together properly after years of ownership and wants a seat that matches the effort going into the rest of it. The other bought a well used example and the first thing that needs sorting, before anything under the bonnet, is somewhere solid to sit while they find out what it can do. Both end up in the same place: a base mount recliner on a frame built for this chassis.
The Impreza WRX/STI has been through several distinct shapes since the early nineties, and which fitting frame you need depends on which one you own. A frame is the vehicle specific base that bolts to the floor in place of the standard runners, and it sets your final seat height. We stock three, two from Planted Technology split by generation and one from Sparco, and between them they cover the classic round light cars through to the last hatch and saloon shape before the WRX/STI moved onto its own separate platform. Get the year right first, because the frame decides which seats you can run.
Part SB019, £222.60 inc VAT a side. Planted's own listing describes this as fitting Impreza and WRX/STI from 1993 to 2003, the round light cars through the early bugeye facelift. A flat base that takes any seat in this guide with matching runners.
Part 00499096, £99.00 inc VAT a side. Sparco list this for cars built 2001 to 2007, the bugeye, blobeye and hawkeye era. Handed and sold individually. Pairs with 345mm runners and takes the R100, the R500 and the Corbeau.
Part SB020-4930, £222.60 inc VAT a side. For the third generation hatch and saloon WRX/STI, 2008 to 2014, and the equivalent Impreza, 2008 to 2011. A flat base that takes any seat in this guide with matching runners.
Every reclining seat we sell bolts down through a base mount pattern, and once you have the right frame for your year, there are two patterns that matter. Sparco recliners use 345mm x 271mm, which is what the Sparco subframe is built around. Cobra recliners use a different pattern again, 291mm x 330mm, and it does not line up with the Sparco subframe at all. The Corbeau RRS Low Base is drilled for both, so it bolts straight to the Sparco subframe as well as either Planted bracket. For the two Cobra seats in this guide, a Planted bracket with a Cobra compatible runner is the only route we sell for this car, whichever generation you have.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Sparco subframe | Planted bracket (either year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 | 345 x 271 | Fits | Fits |
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | Fits | Fits |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | Fits | Fits |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | No | Fits |
| Cobra Misano Anniversary | 291 x 330 | No | Fits |
The R100 is the recliner we fit into more cars than any other, and on a WRX or STI that has done a few winters it is usually the sensible place to start. It is a compact seat that does not eat into the already tight rear legroom of a saloon or wagon, and Sparco list it as suitable for all waist sizes and for drivers both over and under six foot, which is a hard combination to find at this price. The open, flat base keeps the budget on the frame rather than the seat, and it still leaves you with something noticeably better held than the tired factory item. We wrote up what we learned fitting Sparco racing seats into a WRX if you want the longer version of what is involved.
The R500 is the R100’s bigger brother, with a taller backrest, more shoulder support and dual density foam in both the base and the backrest that holds its shape better once you are doing more than the odd fun run. It keeps the same open, easy access base as the R100, and comes in fabric or the wipe clean Sky vinyl, which is worth having if the car doubles as a wet weather stage car. Step up to this one over the R100 if the WRX/STI is seeing regular circuit or sprint days rather than the occasional blast.
The RRS Low Base earns its place here because it does not care which frame you end up buying. It is drilled for both 291mm and 345mm, so it bolts to the Sparco subframe as readily as either Planted bracket, which makes it the seat to pick if you are still deciding between the classic bracket and the Sparco frame for a bugeye era car. The Low Base version also buys back headroom in the WRX/STI’s already low roofline, useful if you are over six foot and the standard RRS sits you too close to the lining. We have a customer’s Impreza built this exact way, RRS on Planted brackets, and it is a combination we would happily repeat.
The Daytona is where I point people once track days on the WRX/STI stop being an occasional thing. The bolsters at the shoulders and thighs sit noticeably deeper than either Sparco option, so lateral grip through a fast corner comes from the seat rather than your arms bracing against the door card. It is built to order through Cobra’s Signature range, spacer fabric, vinyl or leather, with contrast stitching, heating or lumbar support if you want them. This one only goes on with a Planted bracket, since its pattern does not match the Sparco subframe and we do not currently list a Cobra frame for this car.
If the budget stretches, this is the seat I would put in a WRX/STI being built without compromise. The Misano is Cobra’s flagship recliner, made here as the Anniversary edition through the same Signature trim system as the Daytona, and despite being the largest seat in this guide it is also the lightest, at 11.5kg against the Daytona’s 13.5kg. It is made to order, so allow four to six weeks, and it goes on the same route as the Daytona: a Planted bracket, since neither Cobra seat matches the Sparco subframe’s pattern.
All three frames bolt to the WRX/STI’s factory seat mounting points, so there is no drilling on a standard floor whichever generation you have. Torque the floor bolts properly and check seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, because a sport seat often sits the buckle somewhere new. Between seat and frame go the sliding runners, and they follow the same pattern logic as the frames. One ordering quirk worth knowing: the Sparco subframe is handed and priced per side, so a pair means adding it to the basket twice with the correct side selected on each.
| Your seat | Runners to order | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 or R500 | Sparco sliding runner kit, £78.00 a pair | Sparco subframe or either Planted bracket |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base | Corbeau 345mm sliding runners, £117.60 a pair | Sparco subframe or either Planted bracket |
| Cobra Daytona or Misano | Cobra 291mm sliding runners, £117.60 a pair | Either Planted bracket only |
Getting the year right matters more on this car than most, because the WRX/STI has changed shape more than once: the classic round light saloon and wagon from the early nineties, the bugeye, blobeye and hawkeye era from 2001 to 2007, and the hatch and saloon shape from 2008 to 2014. If you are not certain which era your car is, tell us the registration date when you order and we will confirm which frame you need before anything ships.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Waist | Height | Weight | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 | 345 x 271 | All sizes | Over and under 6ft | Not published | From £282.00 |
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | From £329.00 |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £498.00 |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | 13.5kg | £599.00 |
| Cobra Misano Anniversary | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | 11.5kg | £1,649.00 |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 15 August 2026. Where a weight says not published, the manufacturer does not give one and we will not guess it. Waist and height figures are the manufacturers’ published fitment ranges; if you are on a boundary, ask us before ordering.
It depends on the year. The classic Planted bracket suits round light cars from 1993 to 2003, the Sparco subframe covers the bugeye, blobeye and hawkeye cars from 2001 to 2007, and the newer Planted bracket covers the 2008 to 2014 hatch and saloon shape. There is a short overlap between the classic Planted bracket and the Sparco subframe around 2001 to 2003, so either can work in that window, and Sparco's own fitment is the more specific of the two if you are unsure.
Not on a standard floor. All three frames bolt to the factory seat mounting points. Torque the floor bolts properly and check the seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, because a sport seat often sits the buckle somewhere new.
No. Sparco recliners are drilled at 345mm x 271mm and Cobra recliners at 291mm x 330mm, and the two do not line up. The Corbeau RRS Low Base is the exception, drilled for both. If you want the Daytona or the Misano, go straight for a Planted bracket with a Cobra compatible runner.
Every seat in this guide is listed by its manufacturer as 4 point compatible, with belt slots in the backrest. If you are planning harnesses, tell us when you order and we will make sure the whole setup works together.
All three frames are listed per seat position, with RHD driver and passenger side options, so a pair of seats means two frames in the basket. If anything on a listing is unclear, ask before ordering.
If it were my money: the R100 on whichever frame matches the year, because it does most of the job for the least outlay and there is no shame in that on a car that already does the work. The RRS Low Base if you are still deciding between the classic Planted bracket and the Sparco frame, since it keeps both routes open while you make your mind up. The Daytona on a Planted bracket once trackdays become a regular fixture rather than an occasional treat, and the Misano if the budget stretches and you want the best seat we sell to go with it.
Every combination above uses parts that bolt straight to the WRX/STI’s factory mounting points, once you have confirmed which of the three frames matches your car’s year. If you are between two of these seats, or unsure which era you have, get in touch with your registration date and we will talk it through before you spend anything.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Audi A6 (97 Onwards), with the Cobra frame route that bolts each one straight to the factory mounting points, plus why we do not sell the Planted bracket route on this generation.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the first-generation BMW 1-Series, with the Sparco and Recaro frame routes that bolt each one straight to the factory mounting points.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Volkswagen Golf Mk5, with the Cobra, Sparco and Planted Technology frame routes that bolt each one straight to the factory mounting points.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Porsche 968, with the Sparco, Planted Technology and Recaro frame routes that bolt each one straight to the factory mounting points.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Audi TT Mk2, with the Cobra Seats and Planted Technology frame routes that bolt each one straight to the factory mounting points.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Subaru Impreza WRX/STI, with the Sparco and Planted Technology frame routes, split by generation, that bolt each one straight to the factory mounting points.
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