Customer Car: Mini F56 With Mirco RS1 FIA Seat Fitted With Multipoint Side Mounts
Customer cars, July 2025
Our customer came into the showroom wanting to turn their Mini F56 into a more focused track day car. The standard seats were fine on the road but did not hold them on a circuit. After sitting in a few seats and checking the fit, the Mirco RS1 FIA bucket seat was the one: supportive, and slim enough for the Mini's compact cabin.
We spent time with the customer measuring the car, and found that the F56's floor mounting points suited mounting the seat directly on side mounts, with no sub-frame. Here is how it went together and what we learned along the way.
- Car: Mini F56 John Cooper Works, set up for track days
- Seat: Mirco RS1 in 3D SpaceTech mesh, FIA 8855-1999
- Mounting: Endurance Motorsport multi-point M8 side mounts, straight to the floor
- The F56 floor mounting points measured 405mm across
- A fixed, harness-only setup with no factory belt mount
Mounting straight to the floor
When we measured the car, the F56’s factory floor mounting points turned out to be flat and 405mm apart. That meant the seat could be side mounted straight onto them, with no sub-frame in between. It is not something you find in many modern hatchbacks.
Mounting this way keeps the seat as low as possible, which helps headroom with a helmet on, and it uses very few parts: the seat, a pair of side mounts and the bolts. For a car used mainly on track with a harness, that is a tidy, rigid setup.
The fitting challenges and how they were solved
The first challenge was width. At the side mount area, the RS1 shell was narrower than the 405mm spacing of the Mini's floor points, so it would not bolt straight across. The answer was the widest Endurance Motorsport multi-point side mounts, with one bracket turned around to close the gap to the seat.
A useful side effect is that the seat can be shifted slightly left or right, so it can sit more centrally to the wheel or clear the door trim, which helps with a head restraint seat like the RS1.
The second challenge was the bolts. The Mini’s floor uses M10 bolts, and the side mounts are made for M8. Our customer drilled out two holes in the side mounts so the factory M10 bolts would pass through. If you are thinking of doing the same, talk to us first about the parts for your car, and for a competition car check the installation with your scrutineer.
Floor-mounted setup: pros and cons
The advantages:
- fewer parts, so a quicker, cleaner installation
- the lowest driving position, which helps taller drivers in helmets
- a solid mounting with no moving parts
The drawbacks:
- no sliding adjustment for daily use or for more than one driver
- not suitable for reclining or base-mounted seats
- no mount for the factory seat belt, so it is a harness-only setup
- less suited to a car that shares road and track duties
- on this car, the side mounts needed drilling for the M10 floor bolts
A more road-friendly option
Not every F56 owner is building a track car. If you want seat adjustment, the factory seat belt, or a reclining seat, a vehicle-specific bracket is the better route. Planted Technology make one for the third-generation Mini hatchback, covering the F55, F56 and F57 (part SB387), which bolts to the factory floor mounting points with no modification.
The Planted bracket is drilled for the common aftermarket seat patterns, so it suits a wide range of bucket seats and reclining seats, and it has mounting points for the factory seat belt. With runners and side mounts on top, you can set it up for comfort, adjustment or track use. It is handed, so order two for both sides.
For recliner options, see our top five reclining seats for the Mini F56.
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From £446.40 Incl. VATPayPal Credit250+ coloursKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £46.80 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
![Planted Technology Mini Cooper Hatchback [3rd Generation / F55, F56, F57 Chassis] (2014+) Seat Bracket](https://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/SB387PA-1-300x300.jpg)
![Planted Technology Mini Cooper Hatchback [3rd Generation / F55, F56, F57 Chassis] (2014+) Seat Bracket image 2](https://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/SB387DR-1-300x300.jpg)
The Mirco RS1
The Mirco RS1 is a fibreglass FIA 8855-1999 seat, popular with club racers and track day drivers. It is one of Mirco’s deeper RS shells, with good shoulder and thigh support, yet it does not flare out so far that it fights the door card or the centre console in a small car.
Our customer chose the 3D SpaceTech mesh trim, which breathes well and helps keep you cooler on a hot track day. Mirco also make the RS1 in velour and vinyl, with a choice of trim and shell colours and personal name embroidery to order.
- FIA 8855-1999
- fibreglass shell, side mount
- sized for a 32 to 36 inch waist and drivers under six feet
- harness slots for a racing harness
- trim, stitching and shell colours to order
If you are choosing between the RS1 and a similar seat, our OMP RS-PT 2 against Mirco RS1 comparison may help.
The Endurance Motorsport multi-point side mounts
These are the most adjustable side mounts we offer, and they made this installation work. Each steel bracket has several rows of holes for seat height and tilt, and the base slots let them suit a range of mounting widths. They can be turned around to suit narrower or wider seats, as they were here, and they take the M8 bolts used by most side-mount FIA seats.
The result
This Mini shows that a compact car can run a proper FIA seat with the right parts and some careful measuring. The RS1 holds the driver well, the multi-point mounts put it exactly where it needs to be, and the floor-mounted approach keeps it low and simple. If you are planning your own Mini track build, Garreth and the team are happy to help you measure up, and the RS1 is on display to try.
Can a bucket seat be mounted straight to the floor in a Mini F56?
In this car it was. The floor mounting points measured 405mm apart and flat, so the seat went on multi-point side mounts with no sub-frame, as a harness-only setup.
What bolts does the Mini F56 floor use?
The floor mounting points on this car used M10 bolts, while the side mounts were made for M8.
How do I keep the factory seat belt in a Mini F56 with a bucket seat?
Use a vehicle-specific bracket with belt mounting points, such as the Planted Technology bracket for the F55, F56 and F57.
Who does the Mirco RS1 fit?
Mirco size the RS1 for drivers with a 32 to 36 inch waist and under six feet tall.
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Low and simpleRS1 on multi-point mounts
A compact FIA seat mounted straight to the Mini's floor for a low, rigid track setup.
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