Hundreds Of Products Ready Today. Dispatch/Collection Customer Question: How Do I Fit Recaro Seats Into My Mitsubishi Evo 9?
The Mitsubishi Evo 9 remains one of the most popular Japanese performance cars for both road and track use. Even today, it continues to be a favourite among enthusiasts thanks to its rally heritage, sharp handling, and huge aftermarket support.
One of the most common upgrades we see on the Evo 9 is replacing the factory seats with aftermarket Recaro seats. Whether you’re looking to improve support for track days, create a more focused driving position, or simply refresh a tired interior, Recaro offers some of the best seat options available.
The first decision is whether you want a fixed back bucket seat or a reclining sports seat.
Fixed back bucket seats are designed for maximum support and driver stability. Their rigid shell construction and aggressive bolsters help keep the driver firmly positioned during heavy cornering, braking, and acceleration, making them ideal for track days and motorsport.
Sports recliners offer a more comfortable and practical solution for road cars. They retain adjustable backrests while still providing significantly more support than standard factory seats, making them perfect for fast road driving and daily use.
This guide explains everything needed to fit both Recaro bucket seats and Recaro sports recliners into the Mitsubishi Evo 9, along with the mounting equipment required for each installation.
The Planted Technology Bracket Is the Foundation of This Installation
Regardless of whether you’re fitting a Recaro bucket seat or a Recaro recliner, every installation starts with the same component: the Planted Technology Mitsubishi Evo 9 seat bracket.
Before installation can begin, all of the original seating equipment needs to be removed from the vehicle. This includes the factory seat, factory seat frame, and original sliding runners. Everything must be removed until the floor mounting points are completely exposed.
This is necessary because aftermarket seats use different bolt patterns compared to OEM seats and mounting systems. The original Mitsubishi equipment simply isn’t designed to accept aftermarket Recaro mounting hardware.
The Planted Technology bracket solves this problem by providing a vehicle-specific mounting platform that bolts directly into the factory mounting points already present in the floor of the Evo 9.
One of the reasons we recommend Planted Technology brackets so often is because they support a huge range of aftermarket bolt patterns. This makes them compatible with both Recaro bucket seats and Recaro recliners, as well as many other popular seat brands.
The bracket is suitable for:
- Road cars.
- Fast road builds.
- Track day vehicles.
- Motorsport applications.
It also includes a mounting position for transferring the factory seat belt mounting point, making it suitable for retaining standard road safety equipment where required.
The result is a strong, reliable, and professional installation platform that forms the foundation of the entire seat setup.
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Key Points From This Blog
- The Planted Technology bracket forms the foundation of both bucket seat and recliner installations.
- All factory seats, frames, and runners must be removed before installation.
- Recaro bucket seats require side mounts and can be fitted as fixed or adjustable setups.
- Recaro recliners use a 405 mm base-mounted bolt pattern and require Recaro sliding runners.
- The Mitsubishi Evo 9 has plenty of interior space and comfortably accommodates most Recaro seat models.
- The Planted Technology bracket supports multiple aftermarket bolt patterns and retains a seat belt mounting position.
- For dedicated motorsport use, some drivers choose floor-mounted weld-in bar installations.
Installing Recaro Fixed Back Bucket Seats
Recaro bucket seats use a completely different mounting method compared to recliners.
All Recaro fixed back bucket seats are side-mounted, meaning they require a pair of side mounts to attach them to the vehicle.
We always recommend using genuine Recaro side mounts where possible. Unlike many universal side mounts, Recaro-specific brackets are designed to fit the contours of the seat shell properly, creating a cleaner installation and avoiding clearance issues around harness slots and shell edges.
We stock Recaro-specific side mounts for many popular models including:
- Recaro Pole Position ABE/FIA.
- Recaro SPG.
- Recaro SPG XL.
- Recaro Podium.
And many more.
Once the correct side mounts have been selected, there are two installation options.
For motorsport and heavy track day use, we recommend mounting the side mounts directly onto the Planted Technology bracket. This creates a fixed installation with maximum rigidity and the lowest possible seating position.
For road cars, an adjustable setup can be created by installing a Recaro sliding runner between the side mounts and the Planted bracket. This allows the seat to slide forwards and backwards while still retaining the support and driving position of a bucket seat.
A typical bucket seat installation consists of:
- Planted Technology bracket.
- Recaro side mounts.
- Optional Recaro sliding runners.
- Recaro bucket seat.
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Installing Recaro Reclining Sports Seats
Recaro recliners use a much simpler installation process because they are base-mounted rather than side-mounted.
Popular models such as the Recaro Sportster CS and Recaro Speed feature mounting points underneath the seat rather than on the sides of the shell.
These seats require a Recaro sliding runner as part of the installation. Unlike bucket seats where runners are optional, recliners are designed around using sliders and should always be installed this way.
The reason for this is bolt pattern compatibility. Recaro recliners use a 405 mm bolt pattern underneath the seat, and Recaro sliding runners are designed specifically around this spacing. The Planted Technology bracket also supports this pattern, allowing everything to line up correctly.
One of the advantages of recliners is that they are designed primarily for road use, so there is no need to worry about creating a fixed motorsport-style installation.
Recaro recliners offer:
- Greater comfort for daily driving.
- Adjustable backrest positioning.
- Easy seat adjustment.
- Improved access compared to bucket seats.
- Excellent support for fast road use.
For Evo 9 owners looking for a balance between comfort and performance, Recaro recliners remain one of the most popular options.
Will Recaro Seats Fit Inside the Mitsubishi Evo 9?
Fortunately, the Mitsubishi Evo 9 is one of the easier performance cars to work with when it comes to aftermarket seat fitment.
The cabin offers plenty of space around the doors, centre tunnel, and dashboard area, meaning virtually all of the popular Recaro seat models fit comfortably without requiring modifications to the interior.
Unlike smaller cars where shoulder width and seat base dimensions become major concerns, the Evo 9 has enough room to accommodate everything from compact bucket seats like the Pole Position through to larger options such as the SPG XL.
There are no common issues with:
- Door card clearance.
- Centre tunnel clearance.
- Seats touching each other across the centre console.
- Dashboard interference.
Provided the correct mounting equipment is used, Recaro seats fit into the Evo 9 extremely well without requiring cutting, trimming, or modifying the interior.
What Should You Check Before Starting the Installation?
Before purchasing mounting equipment or beginning the installation process, it’s worth carrying out a few checks on the vehicle.
The most important thing to verify is that the factory floor mounting points remain original and unmodified.
The Planted Technology bracket is designed around Mitsubishi’s original floor mounting locations. If the vehicle has previously been modified with custom seat mounts or fabricated floor structures, the bracket may no longer fit correctly.
Other things worth checking include:
- The condition of the factory mounting threads.
- Any signs of previous fabrication work.
- Damage or corrosion around the mounting points.
- Clearance around roll cages if fitted.
- Whether factory seat belt mounting points remain intact.
Spending a few minutes checking these areas before ordering parts can save significant time later in the installation process.
Motorsport Floor-Mounted Installations
For serious motorsport applications, some Evo owners choose a completely different installation method.
Rather than using vehicle-specific subframes, weld-in mounting bars are often installed directly onto the vehicle floor. The seat is then mounted directly to these bars using side mounts.
This approach is common in dedicated race cars because it allows the seating position to be customised precisely while often achieving the lowest possible driving position.
The same Recaro side mounts used with the Planted Technology bracket can also be used for these installations.
One of the advantages of the genuine Recaro side mounts is their close-fitting design. They sit flush against the shell and generally provide a cleaner installation compared to many universal side mounts.
For road cars and track day builds, however, the Planted Technology bracket remains the easiest and most straightforward solution.
Why Recaro Remains a Favourite Among Evo Owners
Recaro and Mitsubishi have a long history together, which is one of the reasons Recaro upgrades feel so natural inside an Evo.
Many enthusiasts already associate the Recaro name with the Evo platform, and upgrading to aftermarket Recaro seats allows owners to retain that connection while gaining significant improvements in support, comfort, and driving position.
Whether you choose a dedicated motorsport bucket seat or a premium sports recliner, Recaro seats continue to offer some of the best combinations of quality, support, and durability available.
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Final Thoughts: Building the Right Recaro Setup for Your Evo 9
Installing Recaro seats into a Mitsubishi Evo 9 is one of the most rewarding upgrades you can make to the car. Whether you’re building a fast road car, dedicated track machine, or full motorsport project, the right seating setup can completely transform the driving experience.
The key is understanding the differences between bucket seats and recliners and selecting the correct mounting equipment for each installation. With the Planted Technology bracket providing the foundation, the process becomes straightforward and allows a huge range of Recaro seats to be fitted without modifying the vehicle.
From Pole Positions and SPGs through to Sportster CS and Speed recliners, the Evo 9 has the interior space to accommodate almost the entire Recaro range, giving owners plenty of flexibility when creating their ideal driving position.