Hundreds Of Products Ready Today. Dispatch/Collection The Mirco RS1, Perfect For Your MX-5 Racecar
The Mazda MX-5 is one of the most loved track day and racing platforms thanks to its lightweight chassis, nimble handling, and affordable performance potential. But one area where most owners find room for improvement is the seats. The factory seats, while fine for daily driving, tend to fall short when it comes to lateral support, driving position, and safety on track. That’s where the Mirco RS1 comes in. This seat has proven itself time and again as a perfect upgrade for MX-5 owners looking for something more serious.
One of our customers recently fitted the Mirco RS1 into their MX-5, and the results were spot on. The seat slotted into the cockpit without needing excessive modification, and the high-sided bolsters and integrated head support transformed the feel of the car. It’s a popular choice for a reason: the RS1 fits neatly inside the tight MX-5 interior while offering genuine motorsport-grade support. Whether you’re running an NA or NB chassis, the Mirco RS1 delivers the stability and comfort you need when pushing the car to its limits.
We are going to dive into why the RS1 is such a strong match for the MX-5 platform. We’ll look at the seat’s construction, fitment tips, mounting options, and how it compares to other models from the Mirco range. If you’re thinking about upgrading your MX-5’s seating for track days, sprints, or even club-level racing, this guide is a great place to start.
Our Customers MX5 Set-Up
One of our customers fitted a Mirco RS1 into their Mazda MX-5 for serious track use and went with a fixed seat setup for maximum stability. Sliding runners weren’t suitable, as they preferred a solid, secure mount that wouldn’t shift under load.
They used the Cybul side mounts, which bolt directly to the factory floor points with no extra brackets required. This made the installation simple and effective, using just one mounting component. The Cybul mounts also sit lower and are less bulky than other options, making them a better fit for fibreglass, Kevlar, or carbon fibre bucket seats like the RS1.
We recommend these over the Endurance Motorsport JB mounts for non-steel seats, as the JB design can clash with seat shells that overhang at the front. JB mounts are better suited to steel-framed seats, which have a flatter base that avoids this issue.
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Design and Key Features of the Mirco RS1
The Mirco RS1 3D is a competition-proven bucket seat packed with features for racing comfort and safety. It has a lightweight fibreglass shell and an ergonomic design that includes pronounced lateral head restraints for side impact protection. Mirco incorporates removable lumbar and leg cushions, allowing drivers to tailor the seating position to their individual comfort. In essence, the RS1 is built to hold you firmly in place through corners while minimizing fatigue.
Some key features of the Mirco RS1 include:
- FIA homologation: Certified to FIA 8855-1999 standards for motorsport safety. This means the RS1 meets strict safety requirements, so you can use it in serious competition events.
- Enhanced head support: The RS1’s integrated head protection “ears” secure the driver’s head in a side collision, providing crucial lateral support. Despite this added safety feature, the seat still manages to feel accommodating and comfortable on long stints.
- Harness compatibility: It features 5 harness slots, making it compatible with 4, 5 or 6-point racing harnesses. The shoulders and crotch belt openings are all in place for proper harness routing, and the seat is HANS device compatible for those using head-and-neck restraints.
- Lightweight and strong: Constructed from high-quality polyester-glass (fibreglass) laminates, the RS1 is very light for an FIA seat (around 8 kg in weight) while maintaining high strength. This helps keep your car’s weight down without compromising safety.
- Comfort-centric design: The RS1’s shell shape and padding prioritize driver comfort. The split thigh cushion and adjustable lumbar support allow fine-tuning of the seating position. The upholstery is a breathable “3D” mesh fabric (with velour side bolsters in some versions) that provides good grip and durability during aggressive driving. Many drivers are astonished by the level of support and comfort this seat provides given its aggressive bolstering.
All these features have made the Mirco RS1 extremely popular. Since we introduced it to our showroom display, it’s been a customer favorite, we strongly recommend giving this seat a try, as its comfort and support often surprise people.
Design and Key Features of the Mirco RS1
Choosing the right seat is not just about the car; it’s also about the driver’s size. The Mirco RS1 is designed for drivers of medium build. In practice, we’ve found it fits drivers with approximately a 30” to 34” waist very comfortably. Mirco’s guidelines suggest it’s ideal for individuals up to about 85 kg in weight and around 175-180 cm tall. In other words, if you’re under about 5’10” and of average build, the RS1 should hug you just right. Taller or larger drivers (over 6 feet or with a waist above 36”) might find the RS1 a bit tight; in that case, consider its bigger brother, the RS2 (more on that later).
Equally important, the RS1’s compact external dimensions make it a great match for the snug Mazda MX-5 interior. The first two generations of MX-5 (NA/NB) have a very small cabin, which limits how wide your aftermarket seat can be. Generally, seats that fit these cars are the narrower models suited for 32–34″ waist drivers and about 6ft height max. Try to put an “XL” size racing seat in an MX-5, and you’ll quickly discover it simply won’t fit between the door and transmission tunnel. The Mirco RS1 falls right into the sweet spot of seats that we know work. It provides ample shoulder and hip support without exceeding the MX-5’s space constraints, as noted earlier, in one build it literally fit like it was made for the car.
Keep in mind that if you are on the taller side, the MX-5’s limited legroom and cockpit length mean you might not be able to position any fixed-back seat as far back as you’d like. The rear bulkhead in the NA/NB, for example, will limit how far you can slide or tilt the seat. Very tall drivers (say over 6’2″) may have to compromise with a tighter seating position in the MX-5. That said, the Mirco RS1’s lower seating cushion and the option to remove padding can help create a low seating position, which is great for helmet clearance with the roof up. Overall, if you’re of average size and looking to upgrade your MX-5’s seats, the RS1’s dimensions and fitment are spot on for the job.
Installing a Mirco RS1 in the Mazda MX-5
Fitting a fixed-back bucket seat like the Mirco RS1 into a Mazda MX-5 is straightforward when using the right mounting equipment. Since the Mirco RS1 is side-mounted, you’ll need a compatible floor mount and side brackets to secure it safely. For track and competition use, we recommend going with a fixed installation that bolts directly to the floor of the car. For more flexibility, such as sliding adjustment, there are options that allow you to mount the RS1 with sliders between the seat and the base.
Fixed Installation – Best for Motorsport Use
For the most secure fitment, especially for racing or serious track day use, a fixed installation is ideal. We recommend two specific options that work brilliantly in the NA and NB MX-5 chassis:
- Cybul Mazda MX-5 NA/NB Bucket Seat Mounts: These are designed to bolt directly into the floor using the original seat mounting points, giving you a low and solid seat position. The Cybul frame is side-mount compatible and gives you a fixed mounting point for a no-compromise install. Suitable for steel framed and fibreglass shell bucket seats.
- Endurance Motorsport JB Adjustable Side Mounts: Also specific to the MX-5 Mk1 and Mk2, these are adjustable side mounts that bolt to the floor, allowing for fine-tuning of height and angle. They provide solid support for side-mounted seats like the RS1 while giving some setup flexibility. Better suited for steel frame bucket seats, not fibreglass shell bucket seats.
Both of these solutions remove the need for sliders entirely and are designed for strength and simplicity. For a racing setup, these mounts are the preferred option.
Adjustable Installation – For Mixed Road and Track Use
If you’d prefer to keep adjustability and use your MX-5 on the road as well as track, a slider setup is a great option. In this case, we recommend:
- Planted Technology MX-5 Bracket: This heavy-duty base frame bolts directly to the floor of your MX-5 and provides a platform to attach either sliding runners or side mounts. This means you can build a system that uses sliders with a side-mounted bucket seat or mount a base-mounted recliner if you prefer.
If you’re installing a Sparco, OMP, Corbeau, or Mirco seat, this setup works really well as all these brands use the wider 345mm bolt pattern at the base. You simply bolt the sliding runners to the Planted bracket, then bolt the side mounts (or seat directly, if base-mounted) on top.
Factory Runner Adaptation – For Cobra Base-Mounted Seats
For customers fitting Cobra base-mounted seats, we also offer a unique solution:
- Cobra H-Frame Adaptation Bars: These brackets adapt the factory MX-5 sliding runners to accept base-mounted Cobra seats. They work with both Cobra’s steel-framed bucket seats and reclining sport seats. Just note that Cobra seats use a narrower 291mm bolt spacing, so this solution only works with Cobra brand seats.
If you want an adjustable setup using these adapters, we recommend pairing them with Cobra’s own sliding runners to ensure all bolt patterns line up correctly. This combination allows you to keep your original runner adjustability while upgrading to a Cobra seat without needing to modify the floor.
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Why the Mirco RS1 Is the Ultimate Bucket Seat Upgrade for the MX-5
In summary, the Mirco RS1 is a proven upgrade for the Mazda MX-5, offering race-ready safety and support in a size that suits the little roadster. Its design, from the ergonomic cushions to the head-protecting halo, is all about giving drivers confidence on track. With the right mounting approach, it slots into the MX-5 neatly and holds you securely through every bend. And if the RS1 isn’t a perfect match, Mirco’s range (RS2, GT, and even the MX5 model) ensures there’s an option for every driver and build. We hope this guide has been informative and helpful for your MX-5 seat search. There’s a whole world of difference waiting once you swap out the old stock seats, increased feedback, better control, and yes, likely faster lap times as you can concentrate on driving instead of bracing yourself in the corners. When you’re ready to take that step, GSM Performance is here to help with expert advice, a wide product selection, and the opportunity to try everything in person. After all, the MX-5 is all about the joy of driving, and a seat like the Mirco RS1 just makes that great car even better. Happy motoring, and see you at the track!