Customer Car: Toyota MR2 With Sparco Evo Vinyl Racing Bucket Seat
Customer cars, July 2025
The third-generation Toyota MR2, the W30 sold here as the MR2 Roadster, is a light, mid-engined two-seater with the roof down more often than not. It is great fun on the road and on track, but the cockpit is small and low, which makes choosing an FIA bucket seat harder than in most cars.
Our customer went for a Sparco Evo QRT Sky, the vinyl-trimmed version of Sparco's Evo, on the driver's side, fitted with Planted Technology and Endurance Motorsport hardware. Here is the setup and why it suits an open car like this.
- Car: Toyota MR2 Roadster, W30 chassis
- Seat: Sparco Evo QRT Sky, FIA 8855-1999, in black vinyl
- Frame: Planted Technology bracket for the MR2 W30
- Side mounts: Endurance Motorsport multi-point M8
- Fixed mounting, no sliders, with the factory belt kept
What is on this page
Our customer's setup
For this MR2, our customer chose:
- a Planted Technology bracket made for the MR2 W30
- Endurance Motorsport multi-point M8 side mounts
- a Sparco Evo QRT Sky bucket seat in black vinyl on the driver’s side
- a fixed mounting with no sliders, for a rigid, set driving position
The Planted bracket has a mounting point for the factory seat belt, so the standard three-point belt is kept for everyday driving, while the seat’s harness slots are there for a harness on track days. The passenger keeps the standard seat.
From the side you can see how the Evo sits in the car: low, tucked in against the door, with the factory belt coming across from the pillar. The Evo's low thigh bolsters make it easier to get in and out, which matters in a small roadster with a high sill.
The black vinyl suits the car's interior, and with the roof down it is the practical choice, as we explain below.
The Sparco Evo QRT Sky
The Evo QRT is one of Sparco’s most widely used competition seats. The Sky is the standard-width Evo shell trimmed in black vinyl in place of fabric. It is homologated to FIA 8855-1999, head and neck restraint friendly, and takes four and six-point harnesses. It is side mount only.
QRT is Sparco’s resin transfer process for the fibreglass shell. It sits in the middle of the Sparco range: more supportive than the steel Sprint, lighter than it, and a good deal less costly than the carbon seats. For club use where an FIA fibreglass seat is wanted, it is often where the value lands.
The standard Evo shell is designed for a 32 to 36 inch waist, and Sparco also make L and XL shells for broader drivers. In a car as tight as the MR2, the standard shell is the one to start with, and we would not suggest the XL here.
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The fitting equipment
Planted Technology MR2 W30 bracket. Planted’s bracket for the W30 (part SB227) is steel and bolts to the car’s own seat mounting points, so nothing is drilled and the original seat can go back in. It works with a fixed seat, as here, or with sliding runners, and it carries the mounting point for the factory seat belt. Planted make separate brackets for the earlier AW11 and SW20 MR2s, so order on the chassis code.
Endurance Motorsport multi-point side mounts. These steel M8 side mounts suit FIA seats with the standard 290mm side hole spacing, which the Evo uses. Each bracket has several rows of holes, so the seat height and tilt can be fine-tuned, which is useful in a low car where every millimetre of headroom counts.
Our guide to fitting Sparco seats into a Toyota MR2 W30 covers the options for this car in more depth.
Why vinyl in an open car
The MR2 Roadster has a fabric roof and spends a lot of time with it down, so whatever seat you fit will get rained on sooner or later. Velour soaks water up and takes a long time to dry. Vinyl sheds it and wipes clean, which is why the Sky trim makes sense here.
- holds up better in the wet than fabric
- easier to clean
- a good match for open cars, rally cars and cars that are hard to keep dry
If the car lives in a dry garage and you prefer the feel of fabric, the standard Evo QRT in velour is the other option. Our guide to which Sparco Evo QRT seat is right for you compares the versions.
A good fit for a small cockpit
This MR2 shows that a small, open car can take a proper FIA seat when the parts are chosen carefully: a standard-width shell, a bracket made for the car, and side mounts with enough adjustment to get the height right. Garreth’s advice for anyone with an MR2 is to send us your height and build first, because the cockpit is tight around the shoulders and low overhead, and we can then suggest seats that will actually fit.
Will a Sparco Evo fit a Toyota MR2 W30?
Yes. This customer fitted a standard Evo QRT Sky on a Planted bracket with Endurance multi-point side mounts. We would not suggest the Evo XL in this car.
Can I keep the factory seat belt in an MR2 with a bucket seat?
Yes, with a frame that carries the factory belt mount, such as the Planted Technology MR2 W30 bracket.
What is the Sparco Evo QRT Sky?
The standard-width Evo QRT FIA seat trimmed in black vinyl, which copes with wet conditions better than fabric.
Who does the standard Evo shell fit?
Sparco design the standard Evo shell for a 32 to 36 inch waist, with L and XL shells for broader drivers.
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Right for a roadsterEvo QRT Sky
An FIA seat in vinyl that copes with the roof down.
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