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BMW 3 Series E90 bucket seat guide

2005 to 2012

The problem with the E90 is not finding something that fits. Five different makers catalogue a frame for it and there are two dozen seats we can sell you for one. The problem is choosing.

So this page is organised around cutting that down. The first decision is the route, because a sliding sub frame and a direct fit frame suit different cars and it halves the seat list either way. The second is how you actually use the car, which decides fixed back against reclining.

Answer those two and what is left is a shortlist rather than a catalogue. The coupe is a different job, and there is a separate guide for the E92.

  • Five makers catalogue a frame for the E90: PCI, Cobra, Corbeau, Planted and Cybul
  • The PCI sliding sub frame keeps the seat moving after fitting; the rest are base mount
  • The Planted part covers the E90 saloon, the E91 touring and the E93 convertible together
  • The Cybul mount is listed for the E9X family
  • The Cobra Monaco Pro and Sparco Sprint both mount either way, so they suit either route
  • The Mirco RTS-2 Velour is listed to a 40in waist and for drivers over 6ft
BMW 3 Series E90 on track with a helmeted driver
The E90 on a trackday

What is on this page

  1. Mounting route
  2. Competition seats
  3. Reclining seats
  4. Harnesses
  5. Cages
  6. Fit table
  7. FAQ

Pick the route, and half the list goes away

The PCI sliding sub frame keeps the fore and aft travel after the seat is in. That is the route for an E90 that is still a road car, shared, or driven to circuits rather than trailered.

The base mount frames from Cobra, Corbeau, Planted and Cybul sit the seat lower and fix the position. That suits a car built for track use. Two of them are worth knowing about specifically: the Planted part covers the E90 saloon, the E91 touring and the E93 convertible on one number, and the Cybul mount is listed for the E9X family.

Once you have chosen, a fixed back shell needs side mount brackets to pick up on the frame, and a base mounted seat does not.

Fixed back competition seats

Eight shells, and they separate on size more than anything else.

The Mirco RTS-2 Velour is the roomiest, listed to a 40in waist and for drivers both under and over six foot. At the other end the Cobra Suzuka T Pro-Fit is drawn for a 28in to 32in waist, which is genuinely narrow and suits a smaller driver properly rather than approximately. The Endurance Circuit is the value option, though its listing carries no approval figure.

Reclining and dual fitment seats

For an E90 that is still doing normal duty, this is the half to look at. You get the support without a seat you have to climb into.

Two seats here mount either way. The Cobra Monaco Pro and the Sparco Sprint are both listed for base or side mounting, and the Sparco Sprint carries FIA 8855-1999 as well, which makes it the cheapest route onto an approved seat on this page.

💬
Our picksTwo questions and the list becomes a shortlist

Does the seat need to move, and does the car see real track time? A yes to the first sends you to the PCI sliding sub frame, a yes to the second to a fixed back shell. Most E90s answer yes and no, which lands on a direct fit frame with a reclining seat. Cameron works out the fit and the combination for a given car, so send your height, your waist and how the car gets used.

Ask us what fitsCall 0115 9893488

Harnesses

The standard belt works with every seat here on the road. A harness belongs on a car that is on circuit, and the shoulder straps need a solid anchor behind you at or above shoulder height.

In a saloon that means a harness bar or one of the half cages below. Tell us what is behind the front seats and we will confirm it before you buy belts.

💬
Our recommendationsUndated belts unless a rulebook says otherwise

The TRS Clubman belts cover fast road and trackday work and never need renewing. The Magnum 6 point Superlite and the Schroth Profi carry FIA dates, worth having only inside a series that asks for them. Tell us the class and we will confirm.

Ask us what fitsCall 0115 9893488

Cages and half cages

Two half cage options, a full bolt-in and a full multipoint. A half cage gives you the rear structure and the harness anchor while leaving the front of the cabin alone, which is what most trackday E90s actually want.

Step up from there and the OMP bolt-in is the full structure in a form that can still come back out, which suits a car that is road registered. It is FE45 steel with an X brace in the main hoop, door bars and a rear diagonal, supplied in two halves and in bare metal, with feet to weld to the floor and no fitting bolts included. Budget for paint and bolts on top.

The Custom Cages multipoint in T45 is the option for a car built to compete. Check what your championship asks for before choosing, because the regulations name the type.

What fits what

Waist, height and approval are from each product listing. Where a listing does not state a figure the table says so.

SeatMountingWaistHeightApproval
Cobra Suzuka T Pro-FitSide mount28in to 32inUnder 6ftFIA 8855-1999
Endurance CircuitSide mount32in to 36inAll heightsNot stated
Mirco RS2 3DSide mount32in to 36inAll heightsFIA 8855-1999
Mirco RTS-2 VelourSide mount32in to 40inUnder and over 6ftFIA 8855-1999
OMP ARS-RSide mount36in to 38inAll heightsFIA 8855-1999
OMP Champ-RSide mount32in to 36inUnder 6ftFIA 8855-1999
OMP WRC-RSide mount32in to 36inUnder 6ftFIA 8855-1999
Sparco Rev QRTSide mount32in to 36inAll heightsFIA 8855-1999
Cobra Monaco ProBase or side mount32in to 36inUnder 6ftFIA 8855-1999
Sparco SprintBase or side mount32in to 36inAll heightsFIA 8855-1999
Auto Style Type JWBase mountAll sizesAll heightsRoad and track
Auto Style Type RS6-II VinylBase mountAll sizesAll heightsRoad and track
Cobra DaytonaBase mount32in to 38inAll heightsRoad and track
Corbeau SVR Vinyl (pair)Base mount32in to 38inAll heightsRoad and track
Sparco R333Base mount32in to 36inUnder 6ftRoad and track
Sparco R500 FabricBase mount32in to 38inAll heightsRoad and track

Questions about fitting seats in a BMW E90

The Planted part does. It is catalogued for the E90 saloon, the E91 touring and the E93 convertible together. The coupe is the E92 and takes different parts, which is covered in its own guide.

Yes, with the PCI sliding sub frame, which keeps the fore and aft travel after fitting. The direct fit frames from Cobra, Corbeau, Planted and Cybul are the base mount route and set the position once.

The Sparco Sprint. It carries FIA 8855-1999 and is listed for base or side mounting, so it works on either route, and it is the least expensive approved seat on this page.

The Cobra Suzuka T Pro-Fit is drawn for a 28in to 32in waist, which is the narrowest here and holds a smaller driver properly rather than leaving them moving about. At the other end the Mirco RTS-2 Velour goes to 40in and covers drivers over six foot.

Usually not. A half cage gives you the rear structure and the harness anchor without the front of the cabin being caged, and that is what most trackday cars run. A full multipoint is for a car built to compete, and the championship regulations will tell you which is required.

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