A pair of Sparco Sprint L competition seats. Part number BRR0005B0K0100N-X2.
Two things make the Sprint L worth knowing about. The first is size: Sparco cut it for around a 40 to 42 inch waist, which puts it in genuinely big and tall territory, and there is not much else with FIA approval that goes that wide. The second is the frame. Where most FIA seats are moulded composite, the Sprint is built on a tubular steel structure, which is why it costs a fraction of a fibreglass shell.
The trade is weight. The large Sprint comes in around 11kg against roughly 8.7kg for a QRT fibreglass seat. On a club car that is a fair swap for the money and the fit.
Specification
FIA 8855-1999, fixed back, velour trim, no head support wings, and head and neck restraint friendly. It takes a six point harness, and the 2023 revision added a further crotch belt hole so the seat works with three, four, five or six point belts.
It mounts either on the base or on the sides, which is unusual for an approved seat and useful: it means it can go on a base mount sub-frame without side mounts in cars where that is easier.
Supplied as seats only. Tell us the car and we will work out the frames.
Ask us for the manufacture date if the season matters.
Have you written anything about this exact product?
Yes, we have covered this exact product: Customer Car - Spire GTR with Sparco Sprint L Bucket Seats, and Sparco Sprint L vs Sparco Sprint: Which One is Right for You?. That is first-hand coverage from our own builds and showroom, not brochure copy.
Why is the Sprint so often the first seat suggested?
Because it solves the most common brief: a proper FIA-homologated bucket at the accessible end of the range, and one of the few modern shells that base-mounts, which keeps the fitting stack simple in a road car. If your shortlist is one seat long, this is usually the seat on it.
Will I fit in this seat?
The maker sizes this seat for drivers with a 40in to 42in waist. 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 seat takes both base and side mounting, so the fitting stack depends on which route you pick for your car. 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 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.
