Will A Cobra Nogaro Circuit Seat Fit A Tall, Slim Driver In A Mini F56 JCW, And What Frame And Side Mounts Do You Need?
A customer asked us whether the Cobra Nogaro Circuit fits a tall, slim driver, and what frame and side mounts it needs in a 2024 Mini F56 JCW. The seat is listed for drivers over 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist. In the F56 it sits on Cobra's direct fit subframe at £255.00 and the Nogaro steel side mounts at £78.00, with the seat from £819.00 on top. The slim part is the one we want to talk through with you.
- Prices are live store prices, inc VAT
- Seat sizes and driver ranges come from the Cobra listings
- Frame and side mount parts named so you can order them in one go
Tall is covered, slim needs a measurement, and the kit is three parts
£819inc VAT
Tell us your height and your waist and we will check the seat against both before you order.
- Seat: Cobra Nogaro Circuit, from £819.00 inc VAT, listed for drivers over 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist
- Frame: Cobra BMW Mini F56 Direct Fit Subframes, £255.00 inc VAT, with a sliding runner included
- Side mounts: Cobra Nogaro Steel Side Mounts, £78.00 inc VAT, which the Nogaro shell needs
- One seat, frame and mounts together come to £1,152.00 inc VAT at the lowest seat price
Tall and slim: what the Nogaro Circuit shell measures
The Nogaro Circuit is a one piece fibreglass shell, fixed back, with harness slots cut into the shoulders. Our listing gives it as 910mm tall, 560mm wide, 490mm across the base and 710mm deep. It is cut for drivers over 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist, and the long backrest puts the slots above the shoulder line, which is what a tall driver needs.
Garreth is happy with the height: “If you’re over 6ft, this is the Nogaro to look at. The backrest is the whole reason it works for you.” Cameron wants a number for the waist. “The listing gives a 32 to 36 inch waist, and that’s the only range I can quote you. If you’re under 32, send me the measurement and we’ll go through it before you spend anything.”
| Measure | Cobra Nogaro Circuit |
|---|---|
| Height | 910mm |
| Width | 560mm |
| Base width | 490mm |
| Seat depth | 710mm |
| Weight | 7.9kg |
| Driver height on the listing | Over 6ft |
| Driver waist on the listing | 32 to 36 inch |
Sizes are the figures on the Cobra Nogaro Circuit listing. Tell us your height and waist and we will check them against these.
The shell is fixed, so there is no dial for the lumbar curve. The Circuit listing offers an inflatable lumbar support at checkout. Our guide to adding lumbar support to a Nogaro covers the option and what it does for a long day in the seat.
What it takes to bolt it into a 2024 JCW
The Nogaro comes as a seat only, and it bolts through its sides rather than its base. So it’s three parts and three separate orders: the seat, a frame for the car, and a pair of side mounts that join the two. In Garreth’s words: “People price the seat, then find out about the other two at the end. Do the whole sum first.”
Cobra make a direct fit subframe for the F56. The listing says it bolts to the original seat mounting points without drilling, uses Cobra’s 291mm x 330mm bolt pattern and is built from steel. A sliding runner is included in the price, which keeps the fore and aft adjustment a fixed bucket would otherwise lose.
The listing covers the F56 from 2014 onwards, across Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works. For a 2024 JCW, send us the registration and Cameron will confirm the frame before you order it.
- £255.00 inc VAT
- Part number COBBNP7E327-F56
- Steel, 291mm x 330mm bolt pattern
- Sliding runner included
Product cards show prices excluding VAT. Prices in the text include VAT.
The Cobra Nogaro Steel Side Mounts are cut for the Nogaro shell. The listing says they are not compatible with the Monaco, Classic, GT3 or any other Cobra seat that uses the 291mm base bolt pattern, so they only go with a Nogaro. The mount bolts to the side of the shell and its lower end connects to the fitting frame.
Cameron’s advice is to order them with the frame: “Tell us the car when you order the seat and we’ll price the whole thing in one go, so you’re not hunting for the missing part on the day you fit it.”
- £78.00 inc VAT for one seat
- Part number SUBFR31
- Steel, Cobra Nogaro only
- Two mounts per seat, one each side
| Part | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Cobra Nogaro Circuit, from | £819.00 |
| Cobra BMW Mini F56 Direct Fit Subframes | £255.00 |
| Cobra Nogaro Steel Side Mounts | £78.00 |
| One seat, frame and mounts, from | £1,152.00 |
The seat price is the lowest across its trim options. Prices include VAT and come from the live listings.
Seat and frame alone come to £1,074.00, so the side mounts are the part people leave off the budget. The listing for two pairs of mounts says the single listing is the right quantity for one seat, and that is the figure in the table above. If you want to check the pairing for your own seat before you order, send us the registration.
Circuit or Club Sport: the same shell, a different trim
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From £629.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £819.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
The Club Sport uses the same shell as the Circuit: 910mm tall, 560mm wide, 490mm across the base. It keeps the harness slots and comes in cloth or velour where the Circuit has Amalfi leather with a Dinamica suede centre. It starts at £629.00, which is £190.00 under the Circuit. Because the shell is the same, the size answers above apply to both.
Garreth and Cameron each have a tip on this one. Garreth’s tip is the Club Sport: “Same shell, same slots, and you keep £190.00. For a car you use hard, cloth is fine.” Cameron’s view for a 2024 JCW is the Circuit: “You’ll sit in it every day, and I’d want the leather and suede in a nearly new interior.”
The Speedster is the low backed Nogaro, 700mm tall against 910mm for the Circuit, so it’s built for a different driver. If you’re tall, talk to us before you look at one. Our Polo Mk6 guide makes the same point about the Speedster.
Other F56 and Nogaro guides
For the whole range of F56 seats, frames, cages and harnesses, start with our MINI F56 bucket seat guide. If you would rather keep a reclining seat, the five reclining seats for the F56 use the same Cobra frame. We also wrote up the same job for an older car in Cobra Nogaro seats in a Mini R53.
Common questions
I am over 6ft but slim. Will the Circuit suit me?
The listing says over 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist, so the height is covered. If your waist is under 32 inches, that is outside the range we can quote. Send us the measurement along with your height and we will go through both.
Does the Nogaro Circuit bolt straight onto the F56 frame?
It needs the Cobra Nogaro Steel Side Mounts at £78.00 as well, because the shell bolts through its sides and the mounts are what connect it to the frame.
Is the sliding runner included?
Yes. The Cobra F56 subframe listing says a sliding runner is included in the £255.00. That keeps your fore and aft adjustment on a fixed bucket, which matters when the driver is tall.
Will the frame fit a 2024 JCW?
The listing covers the F56 from 2014 onwards, including the John Cooper Works. Send us your registration and we will confirm it before you order. It costs nothing to check.
What would two seats cost?
The two Cobra Nogaro Circuit Black seats listing is £1,558.01, two F56 frames come to £510.00 and the two pairs of Nogaro side mounts are £132.00, which makes £2,200.01 inc VAT in total.
Is the Circuit FIA approved?
No. The listing gives it as Road and Track approved, without FIA homologation. That makes it a fast road and track day seat. If your series needs an FIA seat, tell us and we will point you at the right shells.
Can I add lumbar support?
The Circuit listing offers an inflatable lumbar support as an option at checkout, and our lumbar guide explains what it does.
What we would buy
Garreth
Garreth's top tip
For a tall driver in a JCW I'd buy the Nogaro Circuit with the Cobra F56 frame and the Nogaro side mounts. That's £1,152.00 at the lowest seat price. The listing is clear the backrest is built for your height, and that's why I'd pick it.
If the budget is tight, the Club Sport is the same shell at £629.00, and I wouldn't lose sleep over the cloth.
Cameron
Cameron's fitting view
Send me your height, your waist and your registration, and I'll check them against the 560mm width and the 490mm base. The slim part is the one I want a number for, because the listing only quotes 32 to 36 inches.
In a 2024 car the Circuit is the one I'd fit, because the trim is what you see every time you get in.
Want the fit checked before you order?
Tell us your height, waist and registration. Cally, our digital receptionist, takes your details. Cameron comes back with the seat, frame and mounts that suit your car.
