A pair of Sparco Pilot QRT competition seats. Part number 008018RNR-X2.
The Pilot is the seat in Sparco’s QRT range for tall drivers, and it has head support wings. That combination is the reason to look at it. Tall drivers in a head restraint seat have a specific problem: the head area is fixed by the shell, and if the shell is too short the wings sit across your neck rather than around your head. Sparco cut the Pilot for drivers over six feet so that does not happen.
Specification
Fibreglass with QRT technology, FIA 8855-1999 homologated, fixed back, side mount only, four and six point harness compatible, black shell.
What head protection changes
Under braking and through quick direction changes your head is supported rather than working against your neck. Over a long stint that shows up as being less tired rather than as anything dramatic. In an impact it is doing a more serious job.
What else you need
Approved side mounts and a vehicle specific sub-frame for each seat. An approved seat on unapproved mounts is not an approved installation.
If you are tall and have tried head restraint seats before and found them wrong, tell us your height and where the wings sat. We can usually work out from that whether the Pilot solves it.
Ask us for the manufacture dates on current stock.
Will I fit in this seat?
The maker sizes this seat for drivers over 6ft in height. Those are the paper numbers; how a seat actually feels to sit in and climb out of is a different question, and our showroom team sit in these seats every day, so call us with your height and waist and we will give you the honest answer.
Is it FIA approved, and for how long?
Yes, it carries FIA 8855-1999 homologation. Every FIA seat has a not-valid-after year printed on its homologation label, and that label date is what a scrutineer checks, so look at the label on the seat you receive and check it against your championship regulations. Buying new means you get the freshest label the maker currently produces.
What do I need to fit it to my car?
This is a side-mount seat: it hangs between side brackets, the motorsport-style stack with fine height and angle control. You will need the car-specific frame, and a sliding runner if you want fore-and-aft adjustment. Our guide on base mount versus side mount walks through the whole stack, and tell us your car and we will quote the full kit.
Does it work with harnesses and a HANS device?
The shell takes 4 point compatible and 6 point compatible. If you are planning the full seat, harness, and HANS setup, tell us the car and we will spec it end to end.
How do I know it will feel right, not just fit on paper?
Fair question, because makers publish widths and weights, never feel, and two seats with identical numbers can feel nothing alike in the car. We keep the ranges on display in the Nottingham showroom, you are welcome to come and sit in them, and if you cannot get to us, call and describe your build, as the team sit in these seats every day. Our head support measurements guide shows the kind of real-world data we collect.
