Seats For A Volkswagen Up: The Cobra Frame, 405mm Runners And Adapter Bars
VW Up seat fitting
Most people who ask about seats for an Up want one of two things: a proper fixed bucket for track days, or a comfier recliner for the daily run. The good news is that one frame covers both. The part that trips people up is the bolt pattern, and we had it slightly wrong on the first version of this page, so here it is put straight.
Cameron gets asked this at the counter more than you would think for a city car. Garreth's version is the short one: Cobra frame, Cobra runners at 405mm, a pair of adapter bars, then whichever seat you like.
- The Cobra VW Up frame bolts to the factory floor points, runners included, £255.00 a seat
- Cobra build the frame and runners to their wide 405mm pattern, the Nogaro's
- Adapter bars across the runners take the seat down to 345mm or 291mm, £47.40 a pair
- That is how a Cobra Monaco Pro or a Corbeau PSR recliner goes in
The short answer
Four parts, bolted in this order from the floor up. The Cobra direct fit frame for the Up goes on the car’s own seat mounting points. Its sliding runners come with it, set at Cobra’s wide 405mm pattern, the one the Nogaro sits on. A pair of adapter bars bolts across the runners and brings the pattern down to 345mm or 291mm. The seat then bolts to the bars on its base mount.
No drilling in the car, no fabrication, and nothing to send back because the holes did not line up.
Only the Nogaro fits without the adapter barsThe Cobra Nogaro is the one seat that fits this frame directly, on the right Nogaro side mounts and brackets. Every other seat, from a Monaco Pro on its base mounts to a Corbeau recliner, goes on with the adapter bars across the runners, as drawn above.
The Cobra frame and its 405mm runners
The frame is a tailored steel base made for the Up, and it replaces the factory seat runners on the original floor points. Cobra fit their sliding runner to it and it comes in the price, so you keep fore and aft adjustment without buying a runner as well. It is £255.00 a seat, one frame per seat, so tell us which side each one is for.
The detail worth knowing is the width. Cobra build the frame and runners to their wide 405mm pattern, because that is how their Nogaro bolts down. The Nogaro is the only seat that fits this frame directly: with the right Nogaro side mounts and brackets it goes on without the adapter bars. Anything else, with a narrower base does not, and that is the whole reason the adapter bars exist.
The adapter bars
Two steel bars sit across the car, one at the front of the runners and one at the back. Each bolts down to the runners at 405mm and is drilled on top for the seat at 345mm or 291mm. It is a small part that does a lot: one pair turns a frame built for Cobra’s widest seats into one that takes a Monaco Pro, a Corbeau recliner, or most other base mount seats on a 345mm or 291mm pattern.
They are £47.40 a pair, which does one seat. They add a little height under the seat, so if you are tall, tell us your height and the seat before you order and we will talk it through.
Which seats go on
Cobra Monaco Pro. The FIA approved bucket we reach for most on a track car. It is steel plated, homologated to FIA 8855-1999, and it can be base or side mounted. On this frame it goes on its base mount points, on the bars at 345mm. It suits drivers under six foot with a 32 to 36 inch waist, from £282.00 a seat in black spacer fabric, or from £419.40 in vinyl.
Corbeau PSR. The slim recliner, and the one for an Up that does the school run as well as the odd B road. It is sold as a pair at £558.00 and has two bolt patterns drilled in the base, 291mm by 330mm and 345mm by 271mm, so it will sit on the bars at either width.
Cameron and Garreth split on this one, as usual. Cameron puts the Monaco Pro in anything that sees a track day, because nothing holds you like it. Garreth reckons most Ups are daily cars first, and a recliner you can actually get in and out of is the better buy. Both are right for somebody.
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From £282.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
What to order
| For each seat | Frame | Adapter bars | Seat | Per side, inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobra Monaco Pro | £255.00 | £47.40 | from £282.00 | from £584.40 |
| Corbeau PSR | £255.00 | £47.40 | £558.00 the pair | £1,162.80 for both sides |
Prices correct on 30 September 2026. Put the seat on the order, or drop us an email or click to open a chat with the combination first, and we will check the frame, runners, bars and seat all line up before anything ships.
Common questions
Do I need the adapter bars for a Cobra Nogaro?
No. The Nogaro is the only seat that fits this frame directly, using the right Nogaro side mounts and brackets. Every other seat needs the bars.
Do I need to buy runners separately?
No. The runner comes with the Cobra frame at 405mm. The bars go on top of it.
Will other seats fit this way?
Most base mount seats on a 345mm or 291mm pattern will. Tell us the seat and we will confirm it before you order.
Can I side mount a Monaco Pro in an Up instead?
The Monaco Pro can be side mounted, but that is a different set of parts to this guide. Drop us an email or click to open a chat and we will go through it.
Does the Corbeau PSR need anything else?
No. The pair bolts to the bars on its own base, with the runner already on the frame underneath.
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Not sure which seatTell us how you use the Up
Track days, the daily commute or a bit of both, plus your height and waist, and Garreth and Cameron will tell you which seat and exactly what to order with it. Or ring the showroom on 0115 9893488.
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