The F56 is an interesting seat conversation because the stock seats are not actually bad. They hold most drivers reasonably well, they recline for long journeys, and they have not collapsed the way seats in older cars tend to. What they do not do is drop you into the car the way the chassis would like. Sit in an F56 on the Cobra subframes and you notice the difference immediately: the steering feels more connected, the threshold of balance is easier to read, and the bolsters stop you bracing against the door when the road tightens up.
There is one practical note before the installation: the F56’s original seats carry airbag and occupancy sensor wiring. Disconnecting that without the right procedure will put a warning light on the dash and can affect the airbag system’s readiness. It is not a reason to avoid the swap, but it needs proper attention from someone who knows MINI electrics before the subframes go in. Once that is sorted, the rest of the conversion is straightforward.
There are two routes into an F56 and which one you need is decided by the seat, not the car. The first is the Cobra direct-fit subframe. It is the vehicle-specific base that replaces the factory runners and sets your final seat height. Cobra build it around their 291mm x 330mm bolt pattern, which is the standard across the majority of the Cobra seat range, and one detail worth knowing before you compare prices: a sliding runner is included in the price. Most competing brands charge for the runner separately, so the true comparison is their frame plus their runner cost against the Cobra listing as it stands.
The second route is the Planted Technology bracket, part SB387, which Planted list for the third generation Mini hatch across F55, F56 and F57 from 2014 on. It bolts to the same factory points and gives you a flat platform, then you choose the runner to match the seat. That is the route for anything drilled to Sparco spacing, because the Cobra frame is not drilled for it.
Part COBBNP7E327-F56, £255 inc VAT per side. Includes a sliding runner. Bolt-in at the factory mounting points, no drilling on a standard floor. Takes the full Cobra recliner range and all Corbeau recliners, which are drilled for both patterns.
£224.95 inc VAT per side, listed for the F55, F56 and F57 from 2014 on. No runner included, so add a Sparco runner kit at £78 inc VAT the pair. This is the route for the Sparco R333 and the SPX, and it also carries the Corbeau seats on their 345mm holes.
There are two numbers on this page and the seat you want decides which one matters. The 291mm x 330mm bolt pattern is the Cobra standard. It is the Cobra standard and it is what this subframe is built around. Cobra recliners bolt straight to the included runner at that spacing. Corbeau recliners are drilled for two patterns, 291mm and 345mm, so they use their 291mm holes and go onto the same runner without any adapter or extra part. Sparco drill to 345mm x 271mm instead, which the Cobra frame is not cut for, so the two Sparco seats here go on the Planted bracket with a Sparco runner. Corbeau seats are drilled for both and will go either way. Nothing needs modifying on either route.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Which frame it goes on |
|---|---|---|
| Sparco R333 | 345 x 271 | Planted SB387 plus a Sparco runner |
| Corbeau PSR | Both | Fits either route |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | Fits the Cobra subframe |
| Corbeau SVR / RRS | Both | Fits either route |
| Sparco SPX | 345 x 271 | Planted SB387 plus a Sparco runner |
The R333 is where I would start on an F56, and not as a compromise. It is the cheapest numbered pick on this page at £449.47 inc VAT and it is a proper Sparco recliner: a steel frame, cloth trim, deep enough side bolsters to hold you through a roundabout without making a production of getting out. On a small car like this the R333 suits the cabin well, because it is not a wide seat and the F56 is not a wide car. The one thing to check before you order is the fit range. Sparco publish it as a 32 to 36 inch waist and drivers under six feet, which is narrower than most of this list, so if you are near either boundary come and sit in one first. It is a base mount seat drilled 345mm x 271mm, so on an F56 it goes on the Planted bracket with a Sparco runner.
The PSR is the one I point F56 owners at when they want both sides of the car done without a long conversation about budget. It is sold as a pair, driver and passenger in one order, and at around £279 a side inc VAT it is the cheapest route to getting the whole cabin sorted. The bolsters are lighter than on a Daytona or an SVR, which is the right call for a car that still does daily driving: you can get in and out of a three-door without a production, but you have enough hold that the passenger is not sliding into the door on a spirited B-road. It clips for a 4 point harness if you decide to add one later, and because Corbeau drill for both patterns it will go on either frame route.
The Daytona is the seat that makes sense when the F56 does regular track evenings. The shoulder and thigh bolsters are much deeper than on the PSR, so the car keeps you in position mid-corner instead of having you brace off the door card. Cobra build each one to order through their Signature range: spacer fabric, vinyl or leather, one or two colours, contrast stitching, heating or lumbar if you want them. If you want a distinctive look without speccing it yourself, the Tartan Edition pairs black vinyl outers with a tartan centre panel and is ready to order as it stands. At 580mm across the shoulders it is a wide seat, which is worth measuring against an F56 cabin before you commit to a pair of them.
Corbeau’s two most popular recliners share the same base. The difference is the backrest: the SVR runs a smooth, modern high back; the RRS has the classic sculpted shape with visible bolstering at the shoulder. Both are drilled for 291mm and 345mm, so on an F56 they will go on either frame route without an adapter. Both come as pairs, which suits the way most people buy for a Mini: one order and both sides are sorted. The heated SVR is worth asking about if the car runs through winter. If you are over six foot there is also a Low Base version of the RRS that buys back some headroom, worth mentioning when you ring the order through.
This is the top of the page and the price tells you so. The SPX is a carbon fibre shelled reclining seat, built in Italy, and Sparco’s line is that it was the first carbon reclining seat sold to the public to the same specification they supply to manufacturers. What that buys you is weight and rigidity: around 12kg, and a shell that does not flex under you the way a steel framed seat does when you lean on it hard. In a light car like an F56 that is a change you can feel, and it is the reason people who have sat in one struggle to go back to a steel seat.
Two practical notes. It is listed with no head support, so it is a seat for a car with a harness bar or a cage if you are tracking it seriously. And it is a 345mm x 271mm base mount like the R333, so it takes the Planted bracket and a Sparco runner on this car.
Both brackets bolt to the F56’s factory seat mounting points without drilling on a standard floor. Torque the floor bolts properly and check seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, because a sport seat often sits the buckle somewhere new in the cabin. One ordering note: the subframe is listed per side at £255 inc VAT, so a pair means two listings in the basket. A sliding runner is included in the Cobra price, which is worth remembering when you compare it with the Planted bracket, where the runner is a separate line. The Planted bracket is also sold per side.
| Your seat | Runner | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Sparco R333 or SPX | Sparco runner kit, £78 inc VAT the pair, cut to the 345mm spacing | Planted SB387 bracket |
| Cobra Daytona | Use the included Cobra runner, no extra purchase needed | Cobra F56 subframe |
| Corbeau PSR, SVR or RRS | Included Cobra runner via the 291mm holes, or a Sparco runner on the Planted bracket via the 345mm holes. Corbeau 291mm runners are £117.60 inc VAT a pair if you prefer them | Either route |
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Waist | Height | Weight | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R333 | 345 x 271 | 32 to 36in | Under 6ft | Not published | £449.47 |
| Corbeau PSR | Both | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £558 a pair |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | 13.5kg | From £599 |
| Corbeau SVR / RRS | Both | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | From £984 a pair |
| Sparco SPX | 345 x 271 | 32 to 38in | All heights | About 12kg | £2,815.79 |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 19 September 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.
Not on a standard floor. Both the Cobra subframe and the Planted bracket 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.
The F56's factory seats carry airbag and occupancy sensor wiring. If you disconnect that wiring without the right procedure, a warning light will appear on the dash and the airbag system readiness can be affected. This is the one step in the conversion that needs someone who knows MINI electrics: a main dealer or independent MINI specialist can disconnect and code out the sensor correctly. Once that is done, the rest of the installation is standard.
Every seat in this guide is listed by its manufacturer as 4 point compatible, with belt slots in the backrest. If you are planning to run a harness, tell us when you order and we will make sure the whole setup works together.
Both are sold per seat position. The Cobra F56 subframe is £255 inc VAT each, part COBBNP7E327-F56, and includes its runner. The Planted SB387 is £224.95 inc VAT each and the runner is separate, so a pair of Sparco seats is two brackets plus one Sparco runner kit at £78. If anything on the listing is unclear before you order, give us a call and we will confirm exactly what goes in the basket.
Because they are drilled to different spacings. Cobra build their subframe around a 291mm x 330mm pattern and Sparco drill their seats 345mm x 271mm, so the holes do not line up. It is a matching problem and not a quality one: the Cobra frame is the right part for a Cobra seat. For the R333 or the SPX you want the Planted bracket with a Sparco runner on top, which is a direct fit with nothing modified.
For a car that only tracks, yes: a fixed back saves weight and holds you harder in a corner. We have a customer car build on the site showing an F56 with a Mirco RS1 FIA seat on multipoint side mounts, which gives you a good idea of how far that conversion can go. A recliner wins when the car does both the track and the school run, because a fixed back with a harness is not practical for daily use.
If it were my money on an F56 that still does weekdays: the R333 if I wanted the most seat for the least money and I fitted inside its 32 to 36 inch, under six foot range. The PSR pair if I wanted both sides done in one order with no fuss. The Daytona if the car does regular track evenings and I wanted the deepest bolsters here. The Corbeau pair if I wanted both seats sorted and a choice of backrest shape. The SPX if the car is light, the budget is not the deciding factor, and I wanted the carbon shell, remembering it has no head support so it wants a harness bar behind it.
The fitting is straightforward once the airbag sensor wiring is dealt with by someone who knows MINI electrics. If you are not sure where you sit in that list, ring the showroom on 0115 647 8650 and we will work it out with you before you spend anything.
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