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Audi R8 Type 4S bucket seat guide

Type 4S, 2015 onwards, Coupe and Spyder, V10 quattro and RWS

There is a version of this car that catches people out at the order stage. Alongside the quattro, Audi sold the R8 RWS in 2017 and 2018, a rear wheel drive version of the same shell, and Cobra tooled it a separate subframe with its own part number. Two cars that look the same in a car park, two different lines on the invoice. So before you get anywhere near choosing a seat, work out exactly which Type 4S is sitting on your drive.

Planted take the other approach and cover the whole generation with one bracket, which is the simpler buy if you are not certain. Both Cobra parts stop at 2018 on their listings, so if yours is a later facelift car there is a question to ask before you order either. Get the frame right and the rest of this page is a straightforward choice about height, width and how much of the car you want to keep standard.

Audi R8 Type 4S on track with a helmeted driver
Audi R8 Type 4S on a trackday

Work out which Type 4S you have first

A frame bolts to the factory seat mounting points in place of the standard runners, and the seat then sits on the frame. It is the one part on this page that has to match the car rather than the driver, which is why it is worth five minutes before you spend anything.

Cobra version their R8 subframes three ways. There is an older one listed simply as Audi R8 for models from 2006, which is the first generation part and belongs on the Type 42 page. Then there is SU-AU-R8-G2 for the Gen 2 car built 2015 to 2018, and SU-AU-R8-RWS for the rear wheel drive R8 built 2017 to 2018. All three are 229.17 pounds and all three look near enough identical in a photograph, so go by the part number rather than the picture.

Planted go the other way. Their SB310 bracket at 185.50 pounds is listed for the second generation R8 from 2015 onwards with no split between the quattro and the RWS, and it comes as an RHD driver side or passenger side option. If you are ordering without the car in front of you, or you are not certain which version you have, that is the safer buy.

One more thing on dates. Both Cobra listings stop at 2018, and the Type 4S carried on well past that. If you have a facelift car, the Planted is the part that is actually listed for it, and we would want Cobra to confirm the fit before you order one of theirs. Send us the registration and we will get it checked rather than guessing at it.

The RWS is the one that catches people outIt is the same shell, the same interior and the same seat mounting job to look at, but Cobra gave it its own part number rather than folding it into the Gen 2 listing, and they do not do that for fun. If your car is a 2017 or 2018 R8 and you are not certain whether it is the quattro or the RWS, check the V5 or send us the registration before ordering a Cobra subframe. It is a two minute check that saves a return on a 229.17 pound part, and it is the single most common way an order goes wrong on this car. The Planted bracket sidesteps the question entirely because it is listed for the whole generation.

Base mount or side mount

Both routes are open on this car, and which one you want decides which frame to buy rather than the other way round.

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Frame plus a base mount seat

The route that suits most road driven R8s, and the one both Cobra subframes are built for. A reclining seat or a base mountable bucket picks up the four holes in its own base and bolts straight to the frame, so you keep the backrest adjustment and the car stays usable for anyone else who drives it. Cobra publish the pattern on both subframes at 291mm x 330mm, and every Corbeau recliner on this page carries that pattern as one of its two options, which makes those a clean pairing. Planted do not publish a pattern for SB310, so if a base mount seat is going on the Planted, send us both part numbers and we will get it confirmed first.

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Frame plus side mounts

The competition route and the lower of the two, which matters in a car with this roofline. Planted say the seat mounts to SB310 either directly or on side mounts, so a fixed back shell goes on with a pair of mounts underneath. The Sparco FIA set is 75 pounds and carries its own approval, the Cobra Nogaro set is 65 pounds and the Cobra steel set is 62 pounds. Cobra list both Gen 2 subframes as base mount, so if a side mount shell is what you are after, the Planted is the frame to build around.

The fitting kit for a Type 4S

The frame has to match the car. Everything below it is a choice: side mounts only matter if the seat is side mount, and a runner only if you want to keep the fore and aft adjustment. On a two seater that one person usually drives, plenty of owners skip the runner and gain the height back.

The Cobra subframes have a pair option on the listing as well as the single sides, which is worth picking rather than ordering two singles by hand.

Tell us which seat is going on the subframeCobra ask for this on their R8 subframe listings and it is worth doing rather than skipping. When a subframe is ordered separately from the seat they want to know what it is being fitted to so the fitment can be checked before anything ships. Put it in the comments box at checkout, or send it to us and we will pass it on. The same goes for the Planted bracket if a base mount seat is going on it, because Planted do not publish a bolt pattern for SB310 and the recliners on this page sit on four different patterns. While the seat is out, check where the original belt buckle ends up as well, because a new seat usually moves it and an R8 cabin is tight enough for that to matter.

Bucket seats that fit

Four of these take base mount as well as side mount, which is the useful column to read first on a car where one of the two frames is base mount only. The Sparco Sprint at 210 pounds, the OMP TRS-X at 220 pounds, the Cobra Monaco Pro at 235 pounds and the Sparco Sprint L at 237 pounds all go straight onto a frame with nothing added. Everything else here is side mount and needs a set of mounts underneath, which is another 62 to 75 pounds.

Settle height before price. The R8 roof is low and the frame already drops you closer to the floor, so a shell with a tall base and deep bolsters gives back some of what you just won, and it makes getting in harder over a wide sill. The Sparco Sprint, the Sprint L, the Mirco RS2 3D, the Sabelt GT3, the Cobra Imola GT, the OMP ARS-R and the Sparco QRT-R are all listed for all heights. The Cobra Monaco Pro, the OMP Champ-R, the Cobra Suzuka T RT, the Corbeau Revenge X and the Corbeau Pro Series X are listed under 6ft. The OMP TRS-X covers over and under, and the Cobra Nogaro Circuit Carbon is the only bucket here listed for over 6ft on its own.

On width the Sparco Sprint L is the outlier at a 40in to 42in waist, the widest figure published on this page, and it still takes base or side mount. The OMP ARS-R covers 36in to 38in, the OMP TRS-X covers 28in to 32in as well as 32in to 36in, and the Cobra Suzuka T RT is the narrowest at 28in to 32in. Most of the rest are 32in to 36in.

Three things to know before ordering. The Sparco Evo QRT at 475 pounds is FIA 8855-1999 and side mount, but Sparco publish no driver height, no waist figure and no HANS rating on it, so we are not going to fill those in for them. The Cobra Imola GT and Suzuka T RT are road and track rated rather than FIA homologated, which is the difference that stops you at scrutineering. And the Corbeau Revenge X and the Cobra Nogaro Circuit Carbon do not carry a mounting type on their listings at all, so ask us before pairing either with a frame.

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Our picks, not the whole listFrame first, then the shell

On a Type 4S the shortlist falls out of two answers. Which version of the car you have, because that decides whether both Cobra parts are even on the table or whether the Planted is the sensible buy. And how much room is above your head once the seat is in, because this is a low car and a tall shell eats the gain the frame just gave you. Send us your height and waist, whether a helmet is going on, and whether the car is road, trackday or competition, and Cameron will work out the fit and the best combination for it and cut this page down to two or three seats with the right kit under each one. That conversation also settles the Planted bolt pattern, which is the one number nobody publishes.

Reclining seats

On a car most people still drive on the road, this is often the better answer. A recliner bolts to the frame with no side mounts involved, keeps the backrest adjustment, and leaves the car something you can hand to somebody else. Everything below is base mount and carries a road and track rating.

Bolt patterns matter more here than on most guides, because one of your two frame choices publishes a pattern. Every Corbeau on this page is listed for 291mm x 330mm or 345mm x 271mm, and the Cobra Misano Anniversary Spec 2 is 291mm x 330mm, so all eight of those line up with either Cobra subframe. The Sparco R100, R333 and SPR are 345mm x 271mm. The Auto Style Type JW is 345mm x 280mm and the Type AK is 405mm x 280mm, so neither Auto Style matches the Cobra pattern.

The one made for this car is the Audi R8 Cobra Misano Anniversary at 1395 pounds. Cobra list it under their seat and fitting kit packages for the R8 specifically, made to order with 4 to 6 weeks to allow, and the published figures are 885mm tall, 590mm wide across the seat, 520mm across the base and 620mm deep at 11.5kg. Cobra do not publish a mounting type or an approval on that listing, so ask us what is included before you order rather than assuming a subframe comes with it. The standard Misano Anniversary Spec 2 at 1374.17 pounds is the same seat family without the R8 packaging.

Four of these are pair listings, so halve the figure to compare. The Corbeau PSR at 465 pounds is two seats, a shade over 232 pounds a seat, which makes it the cheapest way to change both sides on a car that only has two. The RRB Black pair is 770 pounds, the Sportline RRS pair 830 pounds and the SVR Vinyl pair 850 pounds. If you only want one, ask first, because some of the single listings have been retired.

Harnesses

There is no harness made for the R8, so you are fitting a universal belt and working out the anchorage. On a two seater with the engine behind the cabin there is nothing factory behind you at shoulder height to bolt to, which means a bar or a cage rather than anything you can improvise. Both cages below give you that.

On the belts, the TRS Magnum 6 Point Superlite at 245 pounds is FIA 8853-2016 and the cheapest current FIA belt here. The Schroth Profi 3×2 at 370.01 pounds is the same standard. The TRS Magnum 4 Point at 205 pounds is FIA 8854-1998, an older standard some series no longer accept, so check your regulations before buying it. Every FIA belt carries a date that ends its competition life whether it has been worn or not.

If you run a head restraint, note that both Takatas and both TRS Clubman belts are listed as not HANS compatible. The Magnums and the Schroth are HANS friendly. And be honest about what the car does. On a 4S that mostly covers road miles, a well fitted seat on the right frame does the useful part of the job, and a harness with nowhere sensible to anchor is worse than the belt Audi fitted.

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Our recommendationsDecide how much of the car you want back

A Type 4S is worth enough that this is a real question rather than a shrug. The SW Motorsports bolt in half cage at 791.67 pounds mounts on spreader plates, comes with a choice of powder coat colour, and can come out again, so the car goes back to standard if you sell it or hand it back. The Custom Cages weld in T45 at 2495 pounds is permanent and is what the sharp end of competition expects. Tell us whether the car is road, trackday or competition, whether a head restraint is going on, and whether you want it left reversible, and we will tell you which of the two makes sense and which belt suits it. If the answer is that you do not need either yet, we will say that too.

Roll cages made for this shell

Two, which is more than most cars get. SW Motorsports list a Clubsport bolt in half cage at 791.67 pounds, part SW-Audi-TT-R8-Rear, with a choice of powder coat colour, and their listing says it drops into the standard mounting positions without fabrication on a straight car. Custom Cages list a multipoint T45 weld in kit at 2495 pounds, part AR8/017, marked FIA approved and MSUK compliant.

The choice between them is mostly about what you want the car to still be afterwards. A bolt in half cage mounts on spreader plates and can come out again, which keeps an R8 saleable and is usually the right call on a road or trackday car. A weld in multipoint is a permanent change to the shell and is what competition regulations expect.

If a cage does go in, read the current regulations for your class rather than working from what was allowed last season, keep any sign off paperwork with the logbook, pad any tube within reach of a helmet, and tell your insurer, because a cage is a notifiable modification. If you want the fit checked against your car before you commit, send us the registration.

What fits what

Everything below fits a Type 4S on the Planted SB310, with side mounts where the mounting column says side mount. The base mount seats also go on either Cobra subframe where the pattern matches, which is the 291mm x 330mm rows. Where a cell says not listed, the maker does not publish that figure and we would sooner say so than fill it in for them.

SeatMountingApprovalDriver heightWaistHANS
Bucket seats
Sparco SprintBase or side mountFIA 8855-1999All heights32in to 36inHANS friendly
OMP TRS-XBase or side mountFIA 8855-1999Over and under 6ft28in to 36inHANS friendly
Cobra Monaco ProBase or side mountFIA 8855-1999Under 6ft32in to 36inHANS friendly
Sparco Sprint LBase or side mountFIA 8855-1999All heights40in to 42inHANS friendly
OMP Champ-RSide mountFIA 8855-1999Under 6ft32in to 36inHANS friendly
Mirco RS2 3DSide mountFIA 8855-1999All heights32in to 36inHANS friendly
OMP ARS-RSide mountFIA 8855-1999All heights36in to 38inHANS friendly
Sabelt GT3Side mountFIA 8855-1999All heights32in to 36inHANS friendly
Cobra Suzuka T RTSide mountRoad and trackUnder 6ft28in to 32inNot listed
Cobra Imola GTSide mountRoad and trackAll heights32in to 36inNot listed
Sparco Evo QRTSide mountFIA 8855-1999Not listedNot listedNot listed
Sparco QRT-RSide mountFIA 8855-1999All heights32in to 36inHANS friendly
Corbeau Revenge X System 3Not listed, ask before orderingFIA 8855-1999Under 6ft32in to 36inNot listed
Corbeau Pro Series X System 5Side mountFIA 8855-1999Under 6ft32in to 36inNot listed
Cobra Nogaro Circuit CarbonNot listed, ask before orderingRoad and trackOver 6ft32in to 36inNot listed
Reclining seats
Auto Style Type AKBase mount, 405mm x 280mmRoad and trackAll heightsAll sizesNot listed
Sparco R100Base mount, 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackOver and under 6ftAll sizesNot listed
Auto Style Type JWBase mount, 345mm x 280mmRoad and trackAll heightsAll sizesNot listed
Sparco R333Base mount, 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackUnder 6ft32in to 36inNot listed
Corbeau VLS pairBase mount, 291mm x 330mm or 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackAll heights32in to 38inNot listed
Corbeau Sportline RRS Low BaseBase mount, 291mm x 330mm or 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackAll heights32in to 38inNot listed
Corbeau PSR, pairBase mount, 291mm x 330mm or 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackAll heights32in to 38inNot listed
Corbeau Sportline RRB Black, pairBase mount, 291mm x 330mm or 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackAll heights32in to 38inNot listed
Corbeau Sportline RRS, pairBase mount, 291mm x 330mm or 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackAll heights32in to 38inNot listed
Corbeau SVR Vinyl, pairBase mount, 291mm x 330mm or 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackAll heights32in to 38inNot listed
Corbeau Sportline RRS Leather EliteBase mount, 291mm x 330mm or 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackAll heights32in to 38inNot listed
Cobra Misano Anniversary Spec 2Base mount, 291mm x 330mmRoad and trackAll heightsAll sizesNot listed
Audi R8 Cobra Misano AnniversaryNot listed, ask before orderingNot listedAll heights32in to 38inNot listed
Sparco SPRBase mount, 345mm x 271mmRoad and trackAll heightsAll sizesNot listed

Common questions

That depends on which version you have. Planted make SB310 at 185.50 pounds per seat, listed for the second generation R8 from 2015 onwards, and it takes the seat directly or on side mounts. Cobra split theirs: SU-AU-R8-G2 at 229.17 pounds covers the Gen 2 quattro built 2015 to 2018, and SU-AU-R8-RWS at the same price covers the rear wheel drive RWS built 2017 to 2018. Both Cobra parts are base mount only. If you are buying a Cobra seat and you know which car you have, the matching Cobra subframe is the tidier fit. If you are not certain, or you want a side mount shell, the Planted is the one to have.

Cobra tooled them separately and gave them separate part numbers, SU-AU-R8-G2 and SU-AU-R8-RWS. Both are 229.17 pounds, both are base mount and both publish the same 291mm x 330mm bolt pattern, so the difference is in how they pick up the car rather than how the seat picks up them. What matters for ordering is that Cobra do not treat them as interchangeable, so neither will we. Check the V5 or send us the registration and we will tell you which one your car takes.

The Planted SB310 is listed as second generation 2015 onwards with no end date, so that is the part that is actually listed for a later car. Both Cobra subframes stop at 2018 on their listings, which does not automatically mean they will not fit, but it does mean we are not going to promise it. Send us the registration and we will get it confirmed with Cobra before you order rather than finding out after it arrives.

The pattern Cobra publish is 291mm x 330mm, so any base mount seat listed for that pattern is worth asking about. Every Corbeau recliner on this page carries it as one of its two options, and so does the Cobra Misano Anniversary Spec 2. Cobra have historically listed their R8 subframes as intended for their own seats, so rather than guess either way, send us the seat you have in mind and we will get the pairing confirmed with Cobra before you buy either part.

Yes, on the Planted frame. Their listing says the seat mounts either directly or on side mounts, so a fixed back shell goes on with a pair of mounts underneath. The Sparco FIA set is 75 pounds and carries its own approval, the Cobra Nogaro set is 65 pounds and the Cobra steel set is 62 pounds, each set covering both sides of one seat. Cobra list both R8 subframes as base mount, so pick the Planted if a side mount shell is what you want.

No. The Type 42 built 2006 to 2015 takes different parts, and both makers version them separately. Planted make a first generation bracket, SB102, and Cobra list an older R8 subframe for models from 2006, none of which are on this page because none of them are listed for a Type 4S. If you have the earlier car, the Type 42 guide is the one to read.

Planted do not publish one for SB310. That is the honest answer rather than a guess, and it matters, because the reclining seats on this page sit on four different patterns from 291mm x 330mm up to 405mm x 280mm. If you are pairing a base mount seat with the Planted, send us both part numbers and we will get the pattern confirmed before you buy either. If you are using side mounts it does not apply.

It is a Misano Anniversary that Cobra trim and package for this car specifically, listed at 1395 pounds and made to order with 4 to 6 weeks to allow. The published figures are 885mm tall, 590mm wide, 520mm across the base, 620mm deep and 11.5kg. Cobra do not publish a mounting type or an approval on that listing, so ask us what is included before you order rather than assuming a subframe comes with it. The standard Misano Anniversary Spec 2 at 1374.17 pounds is the same seat family without the R8 packaging, base mount on 291mm x 330mm.

No, so you are fitting a universal belt and the mounting is the part to sort first. This is a two seater with the engine behind the cabin, so there is nothing at shoulder height behind you to anchor to and no rear belt mount to be tempted by. The shoulder straps need a harness bar or a cage, and both cages on this page give you that.

It depends on what the car does and whether you get scrutineered. The TRS Magnum 6 Point Superlite at 245 pounds is FIA 8853-2016 and the cheapest current FIA belt here, with the Schroth Profi 3×2 at 370.01 pounds on the same standard. The TRS Magnum 4 Point at 205 pounds is FIA 8854-1998, an older standard some series no longer accept, so check the regulations before buying it. For road and trackday use the Clubman and Takata belts are cheaper, but all four are listed as not HANS compatible, which matters if you run a head restraint.

Two. SW Motorsports do a Clubsport bolt in half cage at 791.67 pounds with a choice of powder coat colour, listed as dropping into the standard mounting positions without fabrication on a straight car. Custom Cages do a multipoint T45 weld in kit at 2495 pounds, part AR8/017, marked FIA approved and MSUK compliant. The bolt in comes out again and keeps the car reversible, the weld in does not. On a car worth what a 4S is worth, that difference is usually the deciding one.

Usually, and the frame helps, because it drops you lower than the standard seat and runners. The thing to watch is the shell rather than the car. A competition seat with a tall base and deep bolsters gives some of that height back and can make getting in awkward over a wide sill. Sit in the car and measure the space above your head before you order, particularly if a helmet is going on. Tell us your height and what the car is used for and we will point you at the shells that suit.

The Sparco Sprint L at 237 pounds is listed for a 40in to 42in waist, the widest figure published on this page, and it takes base or side mount. The OMP ARS-R at 428 pounds covers 36in to 38in. Among the reclining seats every Corbeau covers 32in to 38in and the Sparco R100, the SPR and both Auto Styles are listed for all sizes. An R8 cabin is narrow, so measure the space between the tunnel and the sill before settling on a wide shell.

That depends whose frame you buy. Cobra include the sliding runner with their frames, so on a Cobra frame you keep the adjustment as it comes and there is nothing to add. On a Sparco, Planted, OMP, Recaro or SW Motorsport frame the runner is a separate part. Side mounts on their own hold the seat in one place, which sits lower and suits a car one person drives. If you want the adjustment, the Endurance kit is 34 pounds, the Sparco kit is 34.95 pounds on a 345mm x 271mm pattern, and the Cobra premium runners are 70 pounds in 291mm or 405mm handle width. None of the three is FIA approved, so treat them as road and trackday parts.

The Type 4S is the second generation R8, built from 2015, in Coupe and Spyder with the 5.2 V10. The quickest tell is the side blade, the large contrasting panel behind the door. On this car it is split into two separate sections, upper and lower, where the first generation Type 42 uses one piece. The nose is also flatter and wider, with a low hexagonal grille and narrow angular headlights. The frames are generation specific and in Cobra’s case version specific, so if there is any doubt send us the registration.

More help

The Type 42 guide covers the first generation car if you are cross shopping or you have ended up on the wrong page. The Audi TT guides are worth a look if you want similar seats in something cheaper to run. If you want the fit on your R8 confirmed before you spend anything, or you want us to check a Cobra subframe against a facelift car, the contact link is the quickest way to get it looked at.

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