The Abarth 500 is a car that takes itself seriously despite its size. Most owners run one because they genuinely enjoy driving it, which usually means track days, B-road blasts, or both. The stock seats sit you upright and let you slide around under braking, which is the wrong way round for a car that can actually turn in quickly. Fitting a reclining sport seat sorts the driving position without giving up the fold-back and fore-aft adjustment that makes the 500 usable every day.
Two fitting routes exist for the 500. Sparco make a direct-fit subframe for it, and Planted Technology make a flat-plate bracket that opens the field to any seat pattern. The five seats below cover both routes and a range of budgets, from £282 to £619.
We stock a fitting frame for the 500 from two brands, and between them they cover every seat in this guide. A frame is the vehicle-specific base that bolts to the floor in place of the standard seat runners, and it sets your final seat height and rearward position. The Planted bracket takes the widest choice of seats, but the Sparco subframe is the cleaner solution if you are staying within the Sparco or Corbeau range. Both bolt to the factory mounting points, no drilling required on a standard floor.
Part 00499017-Abarth, £113.40 inc VAT per side. Sold individually, RHD driver and passenger listed separately. Pairs with 345mm runners and takes the R100, the R500 and the Corbeau RRS Low Base directly.
Part SB099, £222.60 inc VAT per side. Listed for the Fiat 500 from 2009 onwards. Flat base that takes any seat in this guide with the matching runner. Sold individually, RHD driver and passenger listed separately.
Every reclining seat bolts down through a base mount pattern, and on the 500 two of them matter. The Sparco subframe is built around 345mm x 271mm, which matches the R100, the R500, and the Corbeau RRS Low Base. The Cobra Daytona and Le Mans use 291mm x 330mm, which does not line up with the Sparco subframe but goes straight to the Planted bracket. The Corbeau RRS Low Base is drilled for both patterns, which is why it is the one seat here that works with either frame without adaptation.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Sparco subframe | Planted bracket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 | 345 x 271 | Fits | Fits |
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | Fits | Fits |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | Fits | Fits |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | No | Fits |
| Cobra Le Mans | 291 x 330 | No | Fits |
The R100 is the recliner we sell the most of across the range, and on the 500 it is the obvious first place to look. It is a compact seat, which suits a compact car: there is no oversized bolster to fight getting in through the door, and the open base means fore-aft adjustment through the runners without drama. Sparco rate it for all waist sizes and both over and under six foot, which matches what we see on the counter. Very few people struggle to find a comfortable position. Take the Sparco subframe and the R100 together and you have a complete driver-side upgrade for under £400.
The R500 is what the R100 becomes when you want more structure at the shoulders. The backrest is taller, the shoulder section wraps further, and the dual density foam in the base and backrest holds its shape differently over longer stints. It is available in fabric or Sparco’s Sky vinyl, which is easier to clean after a wet track day. Like the R100, it uses the 345mm pattern, so either frame route works for it, and switching from an R100 to an R500 later does not require touching the frame at all.
The Abarth 500 has a genuinely low roofline, and that gets tighter if you have lowering springs fitted. The Corbeau RRS Low Base is the seat we recommend when headroom is a real concern, because the Low Base profile shaves a useful amount from the overall seat height compared to the standard RRS. It is also drilled for both 291mm and 345mm, so it bolts to the Sparco subframe directly without any adaptation, or goes on the Planted bracket via either pattern. If you have not decided which frame route you want yet, this is the seat that keeps both options live while you think about it.
The Daytona is Cobra’s most accessible recliner, and it is the one I point people at when they want more lateral support than either Sparco offers but are not ready to commit to the Le Mans price. The bolstering is positive enough to feel genuinely different from the Sparco range, the vinyl is durable in all weathers, and at £599 it is a step change in feel without going past four figures. On the 500 it goes on the Planted bracket with Cobra’s own premium sliding runners. Weight is 13.5kg, which is similar to the Sparcos, so no dramatic saving there, but the driving position is different enough that most people notice straight away.
The Le Mans is what I reach for when someone is doing regular track evenings in their 500 and wants the seat doing more of the work. The shoulder and thigh bolsters are considerably deeper than anything else in this guide, so mid-corner your body stays put and your arms steer rather than brace. It is built to order through Cobra’s Signature range, which means you choose the fabric, vinyl or leather, the stitching colour, and whether you want heating or lumbar added. The Heritage version brings a period-correct look at a small premium for people who want the 500 to feel considered inside as well as quick outside. Pattern is 291mm x 330mm, so the Planted bracket with Cobra’s runners is the route.
Both frames bolt to the 500’s factory floor mounting points, so there is no drilling on a standard car. Between frame and seat go the sliding runners, and they follow the same pattern logic as the frames. Both frames are listed per seat position, with RHD driver and passenger sold separately, so a pair means two frames in the basket. Torque the floor bolts properly and check seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, because a sport seat often moves the buckle to a new position.
| Your seat | Runners to order | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 or R500 | 2 Sparco Seat Sliding Runner Kit, £78 inc VAT a pair | Sparco subframe or Planted bracket |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base via 345mm route | 2 Corbeau 345mm Seat Sliding Runners, £117.60 inc VAT a pair | Sparco subframe or Planted bracket |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base via 291mm route | 2 Corbeau 291mm Seat Sliding Runners, £117.60 inc VAT a pair | Planted bracket only |
| Cobra Daytona or Le Mans | Cobra Premium Sliding Runners, £84 inc VAT per seat | Planted bracket only |
The Planted bracket is listed for the Fiat 500 from 2009 onwards. If your car is an early 2008 build, check the registration date before ordering. The Sparco subframe covers the Abarth 500 and 595 without a year restriction in its listing, but if you are running a very early car, ask us to confirm before committing.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Waist | Height | Weight | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 | 345 x 271 | All sizes | Over and under 6ft | Not published | From £282 |
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | From £329 |
| Corbeau RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £498 |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | 13.5kg | £599 |
| Cobra Le Mans | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | 13.4kg | From £619 |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 16 August 2026. Where a weight says not published, the manufacturer does not provide one and we will not guess it. Waist and height figures are the manufacturers’ published fitment ranges; if you are on a boundary, ask before ordering.
No. Both frames bolt to the factory seat mounting points on a standard floor. Torque the floor bolts properly and check the seat belt buckle clearance before driving, because a sport seat typically moves the buckle to a new position.
No. The Sparco subframe accepts 345mm x 271mm seats. The Cobra Daytona and Le Mans use 291mm x 330mm, which does not match. The Corbeau RRS Low Base is the exception, drilled for both patterns and compatible with the Sparco subframe directly. If you want a Cobra, the Planted bracket is the route.
The frames bolt to the floor, not to any body height sensor. Lowering springs do not affect frame fitment. The seat height after fitting depends on the frame design, not the suspension. If headroom is already tight with your setup, the Corbeau RRS Low Base is specifically worth considering because of its Low Base profile.
The Planted bracket is listed for the Fiat 500 from 2009 onwards. If your car is a pre-2009 build, check with us before ordering. Early cars had a slightly different floor structure and the bracket fitment may not apply.
We have an earlier post covering aftermarket seat options for the 500 more broadly. If you want context before narrowing down to a reclining seat specifically, that guide is worth reading: Choosing aftermarket sport seats for your Fiat Abarth 500.
If it were my money: the R100 on the Sparco subframe for a road car on a budget, because it does most of the job for the least outlay and neither frame nor seat needs rethinking later. The RRS Low Base if headroom is a concern or you have not settled on which frame route you want yet, because it keeps both options live. The Le Mans on the Planted bracket if track evenings are a regular thing and you want the seat working with you rather than just holding you in place.
Every combination above bolts straight to the 500’s factory floor mounting points. If you are between two seats or unsure about sizes, get in touch with your height and waist measurement and we will talk it through before you spend anything.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Fiat Abarth 500, with the Sparco and Planted Technology fitting routes for each one.
A customer asked which Bride rail he needs to fit a Stradia III into his 2013 GT86. The answer is the Type RO, T901RO and T902RO. Here is why, plus the eight Bride rails we list for the ZN6 and why none of them is the one.
A closer look at the Mirco RTS-2 Stealth Edition, the diamond quilted faux-suede version of the RTS-2, straight off our showroom floor. Full spec, fitting notes and photos.
A Clio 197 owner on direct fit side mounts says he is sitting too low to see out. The seat is not the problem. Here are the two ways a bucket mounts in a Clio Mk3, what each one does to your seating position, and what both builds cost per side.
Sparco sliding runners are not vehicle specific, so they do not bolt to the car on their own. Here is what an MX-5 NB actually needs under a pair of R100s, and the bracket to avoid.
What T45 and CDS actually are, what the FIA and Motorsport UK rulebooks really require, the strength figures side by side, and what the 639 Custom Cages kits we hold cost in each steel.
Hundreds Of Products Ready Today. Dispatch/Collection 
