Lightweight seats - educate me please
Discussion
Hi all,
I read the forum loads.......I note a LOT of folks on here rave about the "lightweight seats" option.
What's the big deal with them?
How are they different?
Anyone got pics of 'standard' V 'Lightweight'
I'm ready for some education........if you all rave about them so much I figure I'll need them on my DBS when I get it (in a long long long time)
Thanks!
I read the forum loads.......I note a LOT of folks on here rave about the "lightweight seats" option.
What's the big deal with them?
How are they different?
Anyone got pics of 'standard' V 'Lightweight'
I'm ready for some education........if you all rave about them so much I figure I'll need them on my DBS when I get it (in a long long long time)
Thanks!
Yes, they are "A LOT" different... IF you are of a heavy framed nature you might not get on with them... otherwise they are signifncatly more comfortable and more supprotive, and worth every penny. I always had back ache with my std sports seats and could never quite get comfy in them, despite on face value having more adjustments. The lightweight seats not onyl look a lot better but they just seem to fit around medium/slim frame people a whole lot better.
I cannot recommend them highly enough, they tranform the car from cruiser into GT racer, yet at the same time being significantly more comfy on long journeys. I would not buy another AM without them, I am that extreme about them now having owned a car fitted with them for 12mths. They are a huge upgrade in themselves, aside from any other issues relating to model such as model like N420, V12V or V8VS which it likely to feature them!
Downsides, as grant states :
no heated seats: I live in a northern UK city and with half alcantara seats can honestly say never for one second have I missed heated seats despite having specified them on every car I have bought for the last 10yrs except this one.
only 4 way tilt, not 6 way tilt : Dont for one second get seduced by stats here. The lightweight seats are a millon times more comfy than you can ever make the std seats even even with 2 more dimensions and 1000hours of adjustment. I am not being "the princess and the pea" here - the std seats suck, the lightweight seats are the most comfy seats I have ever sat in, beating even the E46 M3 seats which are the next best.
cost a lot : not really, in consideration of the new price of an Aston. If you are buying used then I suspect the retail effect is negligable, despite the fact I feel it should add lots! As said before, I wouldnt buy a car without them, but then I wouldnt buy I used car so I dont count!
no side airbags : difficult one this... never having crashed a car, I havnt felt the need for them, but its one of those things that could one day save you life. I cant argue that this is anything other than a weakest link for them.
In summary I feel that you sit "on" the std seats then try to adjust them to feel as comfy as they can be, with a secondary consideration with regards to driving position. You sit "in" the lightweight seats and then adjust the driving position to suit without compromising comfort.
Pic of std steats on my V8V
Pic of lightweight seats on my V12V
I cannot recommend them highly enough, they tranform the car from cruiser into GT racer, yet at the same time being significantly more comfy on long journeys. I would not buy another AM without them, I am that extreme about them now having owned a car fitted with them for 12mths. They are a huge upgrade in themselves, aside from any other issues relating to model such as model like N420, V12V or V8VS which it likely to feature them!
Downsides, as grant states :
no heated seats: I live in a northern UK city and with half alcantara seats can honestly say never for one second have I missed heated seats despite having specified them on every car I have bought for the last 10yrs except this one.
only 4 way tilt, not 6 way tilt : Dont for one second get seduced by stats here. The lightweight seats are a millon times more comfy than you can ever make the std seats even even with 2 more dimensions and 1000hours of adjustment. I am not being "the princess and the pea" here - the std seats suck, the lightweight seats are the most comfy seats I have ever sat in, beating even the E46 M3 seats which are the next best.
cost a lot : not really, in consideration of the new price of an Aston. If you are buying used then I suspect the retail effect is negligable, despite the fact I feel it should add lots! As said before, I wouldnt buy a car without them, but then I wouldnt buy I used car so I dont count!
no side airbags : difficult one this... never having crashed a car, I havnt felt the need for them, but its one of those things that could one day save you life. I cant argue that this is anything other than a weakest link for them.
In summary I feel that you sit "on" the std seats then try to adjust them to feel as comfy as they can be, with a secondary consideration with regards to driving position. You sit "in" the lightweight seats and then adjust the driving position to suit without compromising comfort.
Pic of std steats on my V8V
Pic of lightweight seats on my V12V
Edited by Adam2S on Wednesday 10th August 00:15
+1- when I bought a V8V with std seats I thought they were great and when I sat in a V12V with LW seats at the dealers they seemed way too extreme.....however after many thousands of miles in both, I would have the LW seats over the std any day...they do feel made just for me which was a bit weird given I have struggled with car seats to get comfortable over a long drive (even with 16,000 different adjustments which you just end up adjusting).....although my OH says the same about the LW seats and she's a very different shape...so they must be good...
I wonder why Aston can't fit seats that are a combination of the comfort of the lightweight seats and the safety and adjustability of the standard seats with side airbags. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the LW seat can't accommodate the 98 percentile, especially with us fat Americans.
Some other obeservations:
- IMHO, the LW seats look a bit too "boy racer" and don't fit the character of the Vantage because of their thin shells. They really don't look like OEM seats, but rather something aftermarket added by someone that does track days. I keep looking to see where the 4 point harness is. I find the design of the standard seats much more attractive aesthetically.
- I've never sat in the LW seats, but I'm concerned about the pronounced cushion on the front edge. This area would press on the area right above the back of your knee. I find that car seats with too much padding here tend to cut off my circulation and make my legs ache and feel numb.
- I'm sure the above could be alleviated by tilting the front of the seat down, but I like to drive in a more reclined position. I'm 6'2" and sitting too erect makes my head scrape the headliner in many cars. Since the seat back and bottom on the LW seats are at a fixed angle, I would have to choose one or the other.
- The illuminated button on the side of the standard seats' headrest allows the seatback to fold forward to gain access to the rear compartment. How is this accomplished in cars with the LW seats?
- Living in Florida, I really don't have much need for the 2-stage heat on the standard seats.
- The LW seats don't allow for the sensors to deploy the passenger airbag based on occupant weight. Because of this, the LW seats aren't available in the US, so it's really a moot point anyway.
Some other obeservations:
- IMHO, the LW seats look a bit too "boy racer" and don't fit the character of the Vantage because of their thin shells. They really don't look like OEM seats, but rather something aftermarket added by someone that does track days. I keep looking to see where the 4 point harness is. I find the design of the standard seats much more attractive aesthetically.
- I've never sat in the LW seats, but I'm concerned about the pronounced cushion on the front edge. This area would press on the area right above the back of your knee. I find that car seats with too much padding here tend to cut off my circulation and make my legs ache and feel numb.
- I'm sure the above could be alleviated by tilting the front of the seat down, but I like to drive in a more reclined position. I'm 6'2" and sitting too erect makes my head scrape the headliner in many cars. Since the seat back and bottom on the LW seats are at a fixed angle, I would have to choose one or the other.
- The illuminated button on the side of the standard seats' headrest allows the seatback to fold forward to gain access to the rear compartment. How is this accomplished in cars with the LW seats?
- Living in Florida, I really don't have much need for the 2-stage heat on the standard seats.
- The LW seats don't allow for the sensors to deploy the passenger airbag based on occupant weight. Because of this, the LW seats aren't available in the US, so it's really a moot point anyway.
Edited by KarlFranz on Thursday 11th August 01:47
KarlFranz said:
I wonder why Aston can't fit seats that are a combination of the comfort of the lightweight seats and the safety and adjustability of the standard seats with side airbags.
...
- I'm sure the above could be alleviated by tilting the front of the seat down, but I like to drive in a more reclined position. I'm 6'2" and sitting to erect makes my head scrape the headliner in many cars. Since the seat back and bottom on the LW seats are at a fixed angle, I would have to choose one or the other.
- The illuminated button on the side of the standard seats' headrest allows the seatback to fold forward to gain access to the rear compartment. How is this accomplished in cars with the LW seats?
There's just no room for airbags with the LW seats. The seats are just shells with padding on them. Therefore, it's really lightweight or not. ...
- I'm sure the above could be alleviated by tilting the front of the seat down, but I like to drive in a more reclined position. I'm 6'2" and sitting to erect makes my head scrape the headliner in many cars. Since the seat back and bottom on the LW seats are at a fixed angle, I would have to choose one or the other.
- The illuminated button on the side of the standard seats' headrest allows the seatback to fold forward to gain access to the rear compartment. How is this accomplished in cars with the LW seats?
As for adjustability, I thought the seat backs are adjustable. It was my impression that the seat back and seat are separate pieces and that the seat back can pivot relative to the seat as is the case with most cars. Can someone chime in on this?
My concern with the LW seats was that they wouldn't be comfortable, not that they don't look right. From what I've heard here and elsewhere, however, they sound to be very comfortable. Too bad there aren't available in the U.S. And it's the safety regs, not American obesity, why the seats are not permitted here.
I find the standard seats extremely comfortable. I'm just under 6' and medium build. Personally, I wouldn't give up the side airbags -- perhaps its because I live in the land of the SUV (sadly) and truly embarrassing levels of driver (in)competence (even more sadly), but if someone blows a red light and hits you broadside, the side airbags (especially the head-protection portion) can absolutely save your life.
Rex Racer said:
There's just no room for airbags with the LW seats. The seats are just shells with padding on them. Therefore, it's really lightweight or not.
I just meant the comfort of the LW seats in the adjustable design of the standard ones. I could care less if they were thin shells. In fact, I don't like the look of the thin shells—if it were in an Exige it would be a different story. But it is American obesity that prevents a seat with taller sides in the seat bottom that you sit "in" rather than "on" from fitting the 98th percentile - regardless of whether the seat was fitted with airbags or passed safety regulations.Rex Racer said:
As for adjustability, I thought the seat backs are adjustable. It was my impression that the seat back and seat are separate pieces and that the seat back can pivot relative to the seat as is the case with most cars. Can someone chime in on this?
I don't believe this is possible. Most seats of this style don't have a seatback angle adjustment because the shell is made out of one piece.Speedraser said:
I find the standard seats extremely comfortable. I'm just under 6' and medium build. Personally, I wouldn't give up the side airbags -- perhaps its because I live in the land of the SUV (sadly) and truly embarrassing levels of driver (in)competence (even more sadly), but if someone blows a red light and hits you broadside, the side airbags (especially the head-protection portion) can absolutely save your life.
A friend's mom was recently killed on her way home from work by a tourist who ran through a red light and plowed into the side of her car. If she had side airbags, she may have survived the injury. So giving up airbags is not a good thing.OK, so to answer some of the questions posted:
The LW seats are one piece so there is no adjustment to the angle of the backrest itself, instead it's to the angle of the entire seat. The only other adjustments are to the height and of course, going back & forth. To my mind that's 3 way adjustment but in car speak, I suspect they would call it 6 way
When they fist came out, particularly on the V12V, I think they were mostly in half alcantara but now most of the cars in the range, including the various V8s, have those seats in full leather with a contrast stitch. I think they look less 'obvious' in full leather, to answer some of those concerns posted earlier about them looking a little out of place/aftermarket for an Aston
As far as heated seats is concerned, I've never minded not having it on my LW seats despite loving the option on my audi daily driver but therein lies the problem for some - if it is a dd I understand that could be more important. I wouldn't be surprised now the take up is so great on LW seats if they don't make it an option - it can't be that difficult
To get behind the seats, there is a button on the side of the dash accessed only when the door is open, to fully fold forward electrically the entire seat - slow but effective
Extra airbags over & above the main passenger & driver wheel/dash mounted ones are I think, whilst generalising hugely, more of a concern in the US than the UK. Not just for legal reasons but as demonstrated above, by drivers too. Again as demonstrated by other posts on this forum, I don't think most UK drivers are very concerned about this particular type of airbag. I don't see the spec changing - the whole point is this is a LW seat
Having said that, the weight saving is in reality, unlikely to be felt by mere mortals in terms of performance, perhaps even by a pro. You can save more weight by watching your own weight or your luggage! Looks may be another appealing factor for the LW option but I think the biggest reason behind their popularity is simply comfort & support
Especially if trimmed in black leather, the carbon back is not that obvious as the back of the headrest section is still trimmed in leather - that is less true on the 2+2s but the proximity of the seat back to the back of the interior is so close on the Vantage I think the carbon is barely noticeable - I guess that's a pro to some & a con to others
The current cost btw, if ordered with the car, is now up to £3k. But remember the standard seats, certainly on the V8V, don't come with electric memory which the LW has as standard and memory on these seats can be quite important, even if the seats only get moved by car washer, parking valet, etc rather than a regular second driver
But the most important thing is these seats are quite rare in suiting a wide variety of body sizes (I'm 6'1 and 16 stone - they fit great), they provide great support for long journeys (I've done a number of 2-3k mile 5-6 day trips with these seats) yet work as a great track seat too. I went on a trip recently where one of the cars was a 911 GT3 RS - the seats on the 911 were amazing for the twisty stuff but not good for the long motorway days where the driver needed cushions for support. The AM LW seats have adjustable lumbar by pulling away the centre of either section of the seat and moving padding up & down velcro strips - crude but effective and much admired by the Porsche driver I referred to
Bottom line is for many who have them, like me, when changing car recently it was the only deal breaker option - I wouldn't look at cars without however good the deal
The LW seats are one piece so there is no adjustment to the angle of the backrest itself, instead it's to the angle of the entire seat. The only other adjustments are to the height and of course, going back & forth. To my mind that's 3 way adjustment but in car speak, I suspect they would call it 6 way
When they fist came out, particularly on the V12V, I think they were mostly in half alcantara but now most of the cars in the range, including the various V8s, have those seats in full leather with a contrast stitch. I think they look less 'obvious' in full leather, to answer some of those concerns posted earlier about them looking a little out of place/aftermarket for an Aston
As far as heated seats is concerned, I've never minded not having it on my LW seats despite loving the option on my audi daily driver but therein lies the problem for some - if it is a dd I understand that could be more important. I wouldn't be surprised now the take up is so great on LW seats if they don't make it an option - it can't be that difficult
To get behind the seats, there is a button on the side of the dash accessed only when the door is open, to fully fold forward electrically the entire seat - slow but effective
Extra airbags over & above the main passenger & driver wheel/dash mounted ones are I think, whilst generalising hugely, more of a concern in the US than the UK. Not just for legal reasons but as demonstrated above, by drivers too. Again as demonstrated by other posts on this forum, I don't think most UK drivers are very concerned about this particular type of airbag. I don't see the spec changing - the whole point is this is a LW seat
Having said that, the weight saving is in reality, unlikely to be felt by mere mortals in terms of performance, perhaps even by a pro. You can save more weight by watching your own weight or your luggage! Looks may be another appealing factor for the LW option but I think the biggest reason behind their popularity is simply comfort & support
Especially if trimmed in black leather, the carbon back is not that obvious as the back of the headrest section is still trimmed in leather - that is less true on the 2+2s but the proximity of the seat back to the back of the interior is so close on the Vantage I think the carbon is barely noticeable - I guess that's a pro to some & a con to others
The current cost btw, if ordered with the car, is now up to £3k. But remember the standard seats, certainly on the V8V, don't come with electric memory which the LW has as standard and memory on these seats can be quite important, even if the seats only get moved by car washer, parking valet, etc rather than a regular second driver
But the most important thing is these seats are quite rare in suiting a wide variety of body sizes (I'm 6'1 and 16 stone - they fit great), they provide great support for long journeys (I've done a number of 2-3k mile 5-6 day trips with these seats) yet work as a great track seat too. I went on a trip recently where one of the cars was a 911 GT3 RS - the seats on the 911 were amazing for the twisty stuff but not good for the long motorway days where the driver needed cushions for support. The AM LW seats have adjustable lumbar by pulling away the centre of either section of the seat and moving padding up & down velcro strips - crude but effective and much admired by the Porsche driver I referred to
Bottom line is for many who have them, like me, when changing car recently it was the only deal breaker option - I wouldn't look at cars without however good the deal
Correction to my previous post - maybe they are 2/4 way. The standard electric seat control is still used on the LW seat, but it doesn't function in the same way. To angle the seat, you can either lift the front of the button up & down or the back - it's hard to know how to describe it !
Also, I can't speak for others, but I never thought the standard sports seats were bad, in looks or performance. It was only after having the LW seats that I couldn't go back
Also, I can't speak for others, but I never thought the standard sports seats were bad, in looks or performance. It was only after having the LW seats that I couldn't go back
jonby said:
Extra airbags over & above the main passenger & driver wheel/dash mounted ones are I think, whilst generalising hugely, more of a concern in the US than the UK. Not just for legal reasons but as demonstrated above, by drivers too. Again as demonstrated by other posts on this forum, I don't think most UK drivers are very concerned about this particular type of airbag. I don't see the spec changing - the whole point is this is a LW seat
Good points Jonby.The weight saving would never be noticed by me, and we are all probably the same about the heated seats loss.
My issue would be about the side air bags - why cannot AM incorporate them into the door instead?? I'm sure I've seen airbag signs on my bmw doors, or am I misreading them. For a manufacturer to compromise on a safety feature would not make for good publicity if a relevant crash were to happen.
I would like to try them, especially on the comfort front, as my std ones can be a bit uncomfortable at times
Gentleman - Once again the forum surprises me. I post a question about LW seats and expected a few short replies but I see the passion for these bad boys gets you all typing LOADS! My conclusion is once converted to these seats you become almost "preacher like" about them. :-)
Thanks for the clear explanations and the pics. When my next AM comes along (which isn't going to be for a long while I'm sure)I guess I'll have to give them a try and make my own mind up.
From the pics I think I like both sets aesthetically.
KARL: I'm loving your honesty about the fat Americans.....the UK seems to be catching up these days though....
Thanks for the clear explanations and the pics. When my next AM comes along (which isn't going to be for a long while I'm sure)I guess I'll have to give them a try and make my own mind up.
From the pics I think I like both sets aesthetically.
KARL: I'm loving your honesty about the fat Americans.....the UK seems to be catching up these days though....
Grant3 said:
+
Save around 17kg.
Look great.
Provide much more support for press on driving, helping man and machine become more as one!
-
Cost a lot.
No side airbags or heated seat option.
Only 6 way adjustment & tilt for back adjustment.
There is also lumbar support with a couple of pads that can be moved up and down behind the vertical cushion.Save around 17kg.
Look great.
Provide much more support for press on driving, helping man and machine become more as one!
-
Cost a lot.
No side airbags or heated seat option.
Only 6 way adjustment & tilt for back adjustment.
Sport Seat
Light Weight Seat
(apologies for the colour!
)
KarlFranz said:
I wonder why Aston can't fit seats that are a combination of the comfort of the lightweight seats and the safety and adjustability of the standard seats with side airbags. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the LW seat can't accommodate the 98 percentile, especially with us fat Americans.
Some other obeservations:
- IMHO, the LW seats look a bit too "boy racer" and don't fit the character of the Vantage because of their thin shells. They really don't look like OEM seats, but rather something aftermarket added by someone that does track days. I keep looking to see where the 4 point harness is. I find the design of the standard seats much more attractive aesthetically.
- I've never sat in the LW seats, but I'm concerned about the pronounced cushion on the front edge. This area would press on the area right above the back of your knee. I find that car seats with too much padding here tend to cut off my circulation and make my legs ache and feel numb.
- I'm sure the above could be alleviated by tilting the front of the seat down, but I like to drive in a more reclined position. I'm 6'2" and sitting to erect makes my head scrape the headliner in many cars. Since the seat back and bottom on the LW seats are at a fixed angle, I would have to choose one or the other.
- The illuminated button on the side of the standard seats' headrest allows the seatback to fold forward to gain access to the rear compartment. How is this accomplished in cars with the LW seats?
- Living in Florida, I really don't have much need for the 2-stage heat on the standard seats.
- The LW seats don't allow for the sensors to deploy the passenger airbag based on occupant weight. Because of this, the LW seats aren't available in the US, so it's really a moot point anyway.
They are based on a Recaro racing seat pattern (IIRC the SPG's) so as you say come from a harness based restraint system with no airbags or weight switches. It is the same seat/pattern as Lotus, Noble, Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari have used for their "light weight" seatsSome other obeservations:
- IMHO, the LW seats look a bit too "boy racer" and don't fit the character of the Vantage because of their thin shells. They really don't look like OEM seats, but rather something aftermarket added by someone that does track days. I keep looking to see where the 4 point harness is. I find the design of the standard seats much more attractive aesthetically.
- I've never sat in the LW seats, but I'm concerned about the pronounced cushion on the front edge. This area would press on the area right above the back of your knee. I find that car seats with too much padding here tend to cut off my circulation and make my legs ache and feel numb.
- I'm sure the above could be alleviated by tilting the front of the seat down, but I like to drive in a more reclined position. I'm 6'2" and sitting to erect makes my head scrape the headliner in many cars. Since the seat back and bottom on the LW seats are at a fixed angle, I would have to choose one or the other.
- The illuminated button on the side of the standard seats' headrest allows the seatback to fold forward to gain access to the rear compartment. How is this accomplished in cars with the LW seats?
- Living in Florida, I really don't have much need for the 2-stage heat on the standard seats.
- The LW seats don't allow for the sensors to deploy the passenger airbag based on occupant weight. Because of this, the LW seats aren't available in the US, so it's really a moot point anyway.
The cushion on the front edge is part of the improvement it gives much more support under the thighs. In terms of height at that point it is similar to the sport seat whihc has a thinner pad and massive frame under neath.
In terms of "tipping" forward there is a button for it but it just takes longer. Though because the shell is much thinner ther is a bigger gap so it may not need tipping to get stuff past it.
I will be retrofitting heating to my seats at some point. It's not hard.
jonby said:
Correction to my previous post - maybe they are 2/4 way. The standard electric seat control is still used on the LW seat, but it doesn't function in the same way. To angle the seat, you can either lift the front of the button up & down or the back - it's hard to know how to describe it !
Also, I can't speak for others, but I never thought the standard sports seats were bad, in looks or performance. It was only after having the LW seats that I couldn't go back
Std sport seats have up/down at the front and the back of the base plus forward/backward on base and upright section (8 way) plus two electric lumbar supportsAlso, I can't speak for others, but I never thought the standard sports seats were bad, in looks or performance. It was only after having the LW seats that I couldn't go back
LW's only have up/down front & back on the base (giving tilt) and forward/backward of whole seat (6way) plus tow manual lumbar supports
GoodSoil said:
KARL: I'm loving your honesty about the fat Americans.....the UK seems to be catching up these days though....
When some of my Lotus buddies came to visit from the UK recently, they were amazed at just how much bigger everything is in America. (You would love the size of our public parking spaces and the garages in our homes). I was amused when they said that a "large" soft drink in the UK is about the size of our "small". Edited by KarlFranz on Thursday 11th August 01:46
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