The Cobra Monaco Pro Lotus Gold Edition, an FIA 8855-1999 homologated bucket seat. Part number COB8D4K9525.
A Cobra and Lotus collaboration
This one was done with Lotus Cars rather than being a Cobra trim with a name attached. The gold thread running through the seat is the defining feature and the reason it exists.
Everything underneath is standard Monaco Pro specification, so you are choosing it for the finish and the association. In a Lotus that is a perfectly good reason; in anything else it is simply a striking seat.
The seat
Steel frame, fixed back, fully plated with a solid back and base for intrusion protection. Integral head pad and shoulder support. Base mounted or side mounted, your choice. Slots for a 4 or 6 point harness. 11.4kg, which is the honest cost of the steel plating.
Trim in spacer fabric or vinyl, with the gold thread throughout either.
Fit
Drivers under 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist. Narrower and wider versions of the Monaco shell exist, so if you are outside that, tell us your measurements and we will point you at the right one rather than let you order on looks alone.
FIA 8855-1999 seats carry an expiry tied to their manufacture date and scrutineers check it. Ask us for the date on current stock if you are buying close to a season.
Seat only. Hand trimmed in the UK. Tell us the car for frames and mounts.
Have you written anything about this exact product?
Yes, we have covered this exact product: Customer Question: Fitting Our MX-5 Side Mounts To A Cobra Monaco Pro, and Can I Install Cobra Monaco Pro Seats onto OMP Motorsport Base Plates?. Some of that comes straight from real customer questions, so you are reading answers other buyers actually needed.
Will I fit in this seat?
The maker sizes this seat for drivers under 6ft in height with a 32in to 36in 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 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.