The Phase 1 Clio Mk2 ran from March 1998 until the facelift arrived in late 2001. It is a car that takes modification well: a lot of them have had coilovers, uprated brakes and a set of track tyres put under them at some point. The seat question comes up because the factory item is the obvious weak point. Wide, flat across the back, and it does very little once lateral force builds. You slide around in it mid-corner when everything else in the car is set up not to move.
A reclining sport seat does a specific job here. You keep the fold-forward backrest for the three-door bodyshell. You get shoulder and hip support that actually holds you through corners. And with the Sparco subframe underneath it, you sit lower than standard, which tightens how the car feels around you. This guide covers the five seats that go on that frame and what they each cost to install properly.
The Sparco Direct Fit Sub-frame is the only vehicle-specific fitting frame we list for the Phase 1 Mk2. It drops onto the original seat mounting points and raises the bolt pattern to 345mm x 271mm, which Sparco base-mount recliners use as standard. Corbeau drills their recliners for both the 345mm Sparco pattern and the 291mm Cobra pattern, so they go on through the same frame without adaptors.
A pair means adding two to the basket: one for the driver side, one for the passenger. The frame has no fore-aft adjustment built in, so add the runner kit alongside it. Details in the fitting section below. Note that the Mk3 frame (part 00499103) covers October 2005 to 2010 if you have the later car.
Part 00499060, £87.00 inc VAT a side. Sold individually, RHD driver and passenger listed separately. Bolt pattern 345mm x 271mm. Takes all Sparco recliners and all Corbeau recliners. Add the runner kit for fore-aft adjustment.
Every reclining seat in this guide is a base mount, and the base mount bolt pattern is what the frame is built around. The Sparco frame brings the floor up to 345mm x 271mm. The three Sparco recliners here use that exact pattern. The Corbeau PSR and SVR are drilled for both 291mm and 345mm, which is why they also go straight on without a different frame. All five seats work through the same fitting route.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Sparco subframe |
|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 | 345 x 271 | Fits |
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | Fits |
| Sparco R333 | 345 x 271 | Fits |
| Corbeau PSR | 291 or 345 | Fits |
| Corbeau SVR | 291 or 345 | Fits |
The R100 is what most Clio owners end up with when the brief is a better seat at a sensible price. Sparco’s 345mm base mount bolts to the frame without modification, and the fit range is open enough that it works for most drivers: any waist size, over and under six foot. The shoulder support is honest without being aggressive, which is the right call on a car that still does daily miles between track evenings. Cameron tends to point people here first when the brief does not involve competition licences or a specific harness setup.
Driver size and fitment. Published as suitable for all waist sizes and both over and under six foot. There is no published weight figure. Of the five seats in this guide this has the widest fit window, so it is also the correct answer if you are on a boundary between two options.
The R500 narrows the shoulder and hip bolsters compared to the R100. That tighter hold makes a measurable difference once the car is on a circuit. The seat stays loaded through corners in a way the R100 does not push for. Fabric and Sky trim are both available as singles or as pairs: if you are doing both seats at once, the pair listings (229281 Fabric, 229282 Sky) work out neater in the basket.
Driver size and fitment. Published as 32 to 38 inch waist and all heights. If you are above a 38 inch waist, the R100 has the wider shell. If you are on the boundary, tell us your measurements and we will confirm before you order.
The R333 sits between the R500 and the SPX in the Sparco range and has more bolstering than either of the seats above it in this list. One thing worth stating plainly: Sparco publish the fit as 32 to 36 inch waist and under six foot. That is the narrowest fit window in this guide, and it means something. If you are on a 38 inch waist or you are over six foot, this is not the right seat regardless of the price or how much the spec appeals. If you fit the stated range, it earns its place at this price point and you will feel the difference from the R500 at speed.
Driver size and fitment. Published as 32 to 36 inch waist and under six foot. This is the only seat in this guide with a height restriction. If one occupant fits the range and the other does not, pair it with the R100 on the other side. If you need help confirming fit before ordering, drop us an email or click to open a chat and we will talk it through.
The PSR pair is how most people end up covering both seats in the car without paying single-seat prices twice. Corbeau price it as a pair, and the seat is drilled for both the 291mm and 345mm bolt patterns, so it goes straight onto the Sparco subframe. The shoulder bolsters are lower profile than the RRS, which trades some of the lateral grip for easier entry and exit on a three-door. On a road car that gets driven to the circuit and back, that is usually the right balance. The pair covers both the driver and passenger position in one hit.
Driver size and fitment. Published as 32 to 38 inch waist, all heights. Both seats covered in the pair price. If you only need the driver’s side, the PSR is listed as a single too.
The SVR uses a shorter backrest than the RRS. On a Mk2 Clio that has been lowered on coilovers or aftermarket springs, the roof comes down with the suspension and a full-height recliner backrest can start to feel close at the top. The SVR removes that problem. The smoother back profile is also a style difference worth knowing about if you have sat in an RRS: the bolstered sculpted shape of the RRS versus the cleaner lines of the SVR are a personal call, not a technical one. Pair priced in vinyl, which takes track use without showing it.
Driver size and fitment. Published as 32 to 38 inch waist, all heights. Pair pricing covers driver and passenger. If the car is not lowered and headroom is not a concern, the PSR at a lower pair price covers similar ground.
The Sparco subframe does not include runners. Without the runner kit the frame holds the seat in a fixed position with no fore-aft adjustment. Add the Sparco runner kit alongside the frame for the three Sparco seats; add the Corbeau runner for the PSR or SVR. Both are sold as a pair, which covers both seats in the car.
One note on Corbeau’s runner listing: the millimetre figure is the width across the release handle, not a bolt pattern. The 291mm-handle option is the one for the PSR and SVR on the Sparco subframe. The frame itself takes care of the 345mm bolt spacing at the base; the handle width is a separate dimension. If you need help confirming the right runner for your specific combination, drop us an email or click to open a chat and we will confirm before you order.
| Your seat | Runners to order | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100, R500 or R333 | Sparco sliding runner kit, £78.00 inc VAT the pair | Sparco subframe |
| Corbeau PSR or SVR | Corbeau 291mm-handle sliding runners, £117.60 inc VAT the pair | Sparco subframe |
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Waist | Height | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 | 345 x 271 | All sizes | Over and under 6ft | From £282.00 |
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | 32 to 38in | All heights | From £328.99 |
| Sparco R333 | 345 x 271 | 32 to 36in only | Under 6ft only | £449.47 |
| Corbeau PSR | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | £558.00 per pair |
| Corbeau SVR | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | £1,020.00 per pair |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 6 October 2026. Weight figures are not published by either manufacturer for these models. Waist and height are the manufacturers’ stated fitment ranges. If you are on a boundary, ask before ordering.
No. The Sparco Direct Fit Sub-frame bolts to the original seat mounting points in the Phase 1 Mk2 floor. Torque the floor bolts and check seat belt buckle clearance once the seat is in, because a sport seat often puts the buckle somewhere new compared to the factory item.
The part number (00499060) is listed by Sparco as covering March 1998 to 2005, which includes the facelift. That said, the Clio Mk2 Facelift also has its own reclining guide with a Cobra frame option: Clio Mk2 Facelift reclining guide. If your car is a 2001 to 2005 Facelift, read that guide too before deciding which frame route suits you.
No. Cobra recliners use a 291mm x 330mm base mount pattern, which does not line up with the 345mm x 271mm Sparco frame. The Corbeau PSR and SVR are the exception: they are drilled for both patterns, so they fit the Sparco frame directly. If you want a Cobra recliner specifically, contact us and we will look at whether a different route is available for your car.
No. The Sparco subframe (14867) is a fixed base without fore-aft adjustment. Add the Sparco sliding runner kit (184229) for Sparco seats, or the Corbeau 291mm-handle runner (214839) for Corbeau seats. Both are sold as a pair covering both sides of the car.
Every seat in this guide is listed as 4 point harness compatible by the manufacturer, with harness slots in the backrest. If you are buying harnesses alongside the seat, tell us at order and we will make sure the setup works together correctly.
The R100 on the Sparco frame if the brief is a better seat at a sensible price and you use the car every day. The R500 if track evenings are on the calendar more than once or twice a year and you want the driving position to stay where you put it through corners. The R333 only if you fit the 32 to 36 inch waist and under six foot window that Sparco publish for it: the seat does its best work on the driver it was sized for. The PSR pair if you want both sides of the car done in one order without going too deep into the budget. The SVR pair if the car is lowered and you want the headroom issue resolved before it becomes a problem mid-season.
If you have the Mk2 bucket seat guide up alongside this one, have a read: it covers the non-reclining options for the same car, and some Mk2 owners end up doing one side of the car each way. The guide is here: Renault Clio Mk2 bucket seat guide.
If you are between two of the options above or you want to talk through fit before spending anything, ring us on 0115 9893488.
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