talon90

You are clearly very passionate about this topic. Just curious what seats you have changed your Corvette seats to?

Z06LUST

Side note..drove an AUDI S5 Coupe yesterday. WOW!! No I'm not talking about total "performance" nor comparing it to the Vette in terms of "Sports Car vs Euro something" but the thing came with GREAT well bolstered NAPPA leather seats. You could just feel the thickness and quality of the leather (I also looked at a 2 yr old 30k mile used version with that NAPPA leather...looked fantastic, Vette leather looks creased and used at 2500 miles). The stereo/nav system was a delight (had a harddrive to store your music). It can be trained to your voice but as this was a 10 min test drive I didn't...but it sure responded to my commands "Nav" "Radio"...now this is a coupe, good built quality, V8 engine, 6 sp auto...oh don't get me started on the paddle shifters...normal driving mode it acts like a standard Vette A6 but put it in dynamic mode and it changes engine tune, suspension setting (something like F55) AND SHIFTING for the auto. Dang paddles shifted great aka quickly only downside..didn't hear any throttle blippiing on downshifts.

Now I'm not suggesting you buy one..I didn't..as I still prefer the looks and heritage of the Vette. I just wanted to see what others were offering for $60-$65k. What is MSRP for a GS, 3LT, auto with F55??? GM you've got some explaining to do!!!!

06 C6 vert

I think this is the mindset at GM also. I'm thinking maybe 90% of C6 owners don't need seats that have high bolsters to hold you in.

Lots of people already complain about getting in and out .

Most of the vettes in my area are owned by women who putt around in a automatic trans vette.

For the rest of us who consider the C6 a sports/GT car and like to carve some turns we get to slide around in the cab. if I tighten the shoulder
belt very tight to the point that I cant breathe it helps a little.

They can't afford to option a good seat with the great bank for the buck that we get.

sprtplt

It is about the money.
It is about the money.
it is about the money.

Gm is famous for needing to be brought to the party, very late, kicking and screaming. We have always bought Corvettes in spite of the shortcomings. Now, it is much harder for GM to sell them (why, does not matter). Maybe if they want to sell more, they should MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, without further increases in msrp.

HOXXOH

It's funny to hear people compare the 2005 C6 seats, or anything else, to the latest 2011 offerings of other brands. Why not compare to the 2005 versions of other brands?

The C6 hasn't had a major change in 7 years. That's the reason it's still a C6 and not a C7. You just can't change a low volume car every couple of years and expect to price it so that it remains the best bang for the buck on the planet.

Z06LUST

CRAP!!! Sorry but a crap excuss. Nothing personal but I've heard the excuse before...and I know all about program economics when it comes to car builds, and crash test studies etc. The seats were crap in the C5 so this was not a new shocking item.

As per my post above...yes it was an 11 Audi S5. That model came out 3 yrs ago...so it is not some newly developed seat concept. Now I'm buying the Vette (YELLOW) but it is more that proper to compare a 2011 Corvette GS and a 2011 AUDI S5. BOTH are 2011's.

And pricing....hmmm 2006 base Z06 was 65k....the next year in 2007 they were pushing 70k for base Z06 units. Why? GM's costs jumped that much?? NO, they saw dealers ripping off customers with huge dealer add-ons and decided to get into the game and raise the base Z06 by some $4500 just because they could ($4500 jump for nothing but they are keeping cost increases down-what a bunch of hog wash). Look at a base coupe msrp in 05 and look at it now...development costs have long since been covered...manufacturing cost increases are well under produciton increases.

Extreme sport seats will NOT work in many Vettes (aka Vette buyers)....45 yr old "Bad to the bone" doc driving his auto GS to the office (saves the weekends for his 'leathers and hog' doesn't need nor want them. Understood BUT they could still increase the quality of the leather used. As for the more sport minded types in the Z06 and ZR1..and optional sport seat should be dooable. Oh, Ford is getting Recarros for thier Boss 302 and GT500 programs done in leather to match the interior and selling them (PAIR) as a $1595 option. So what is up with all the talk of GM having to charge $3k plus for Recarros?

Again, GM you have a lot of explaining to do. I just can't wait for ALMS Long Beach. Harlan Charles is Marketing Manager....hey dude, you and I are gonna have a talk.

FortMorganAl

One thing I noticed immediately when I drove 300 miles home from the museum was the uncomfortable seat. Then I started adjusting it. Now it is VERY comfortable and I can easily drive 12 hours and still want more. It takes time to figure out the best position for each of the settings but it is worth it rather than an equal amount of time complaining about how bad the seats are.

Silver05GTO

I recently bought a used 2004 Acura TSX with 80k miles on it and the leather looks new and is of much higher quality. This in a sedan that cost $26K new. My former GTO also had better seats which were again, of better quality.

But as you can see from the poll, alot of vette guys give GM a pass on the seats. This mindset also contributes to GM dragging their feet on releasing a seat which matches the levels of performance their top of the line sportcar can achieve. (why have people bracing themselves against the door and sliding around in a 1.04g capable car?) These same guys giving a pass on the seats just don't know what their missing imo.....

You know what though......just wait till the day GM vastly improves the seats (possibly for the C7) you'll have people remarking all over the place about how, in comparison to the C5/C6 seats, the C7 seats put those to shame.

Vettin08

I don't mind mine at all, and to me, they're soooo much better than the C5 seats. Different body types I guess...

kev1949

VatorMan

Where is the "most Corvette owners are too fat" poll option ?

z51vett

I have a bad back and they ride fine 1lt 2 or 3 lt 1 lz or 2 lz. The recarros everone likes hurt me in the ctsv go figure park bench with wings.
z51vett

jschindler

I agree on all counts. One thing I don't believe is that improving or offering an optional seat is all that difficult or expensive. I can name an awful lot of cars that offer an optional seat that is more supportive, and they charge little or nothing for them. The new Mustang Boss 302 is a good example. It's a car that will sell in relatively limited volumes and has Recaros available.

The Recaro's in the CTS are $3500, and that includes ventilated seats as part of the package. If people are willing to pay $3500 upcharge for the "full leather" in the Corvette, then I believe you could charge the same for Recaros.

jschindler

The Current Mustang came out in 2005 also - with only a minor front and rear restyling along the way, but per my post above the are offering Recaros as an option in 2011 on the Boss. I'm not positive, but I think the Shelby seats have had different bolstering as well.

Kenny94945

Could be too many "large" behinds.
Many complain about bolster wear from ingress and egress already.

I think the seat are OK for a street car.

Mykill Myers

/\/\/\
This.

The minute we had a factory option for some nice recaros/race seats, there would be 200 threads on the forums complaining about how the seats were too snug or how they caused back pain on road trips.


To GM it is not worth the time or money right now to put new seat options in the C6. Id be blown away if the C7 didnt have some kind of alternative option, but for the time being those wanting different seats in the C6 are a small Minority to GM.

Silver05GTO

Makes no sense at all. So the guy opting for the optional "sports seats" would then be pissed about buying them??

That's the perfect reason to make it an option, if you want the "fat *** tailored" seats you get those standard, if you want the "sport seat" you check the box....in the meantime they can use better quality leather.

Part of the reason sports cars are dersired is the looks. The corvette seats even fall short in that department....just compare them to other makes (GTR, Ferrari, Porsche, Audi......Mitsu EVO) and you'll see what I'm talking about.

RonnieC6Z

It's not just the seats but the entire interior is crap compared to cars of similar and to some extent, cars of lesser price. My interior on my 2010 GS is 4LT and is also crap. It is time for Chevy to dump the cheesy grainy/bumpy cheap leather and vinyl for some nice smooth, thicker quality leather. Put in a nice high quality sterring wheel and a 21st century nav unit. And offer real seats that belong in a a real sports car! The reason that Chevy has not done any of the above is because for years the average Vette driver was older and did not require any of the above because it was found only on more expensive foreign cars. But times have changed! Todays buyer has much more to choose from at equal or lesser costs, and most sports cars and performance coupes and sedans such as those from Nissan, Audi, BMW,etc offer far superior seats and interiors. Chevy knows it needs to target a younger driver today than when the C5 arrived in 1997.
Because of this, you will see MAJOR CHANGES regarding the interior of the C7.

pingrr

Am I missing something? I don't think the seats are that bad. Is there a big difference between the 3lt and the base seats?

C5 Frank

Just look at the ZL1 Camaro interior.... GM has the ability. But chooses to leave the Vette as is. It is truly sad for ZR1 owners paying six figures for the same exact interior as a base Vette.