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Drove and rode in c7 with competition seats they are to hard on bottom sides causing me to have thigh/hip pain. Owner of c7 did not like the side of seat back, he is tall and thin. I am 5'6" tall 179lbs and 42 chest and 36 waist seat back is fine my issue was the bottom sides being to firm.
z51vett
Doug
I was completely on board with the idea of ordering the competition seats until I read a recent magazine review and they basically said that the seats are mostly for looks with little additional support over the stock seats. I guess I'll have to try them first.
Comp seats have noticeably more upper-body support from the moment you first sit down. Not seeing how they could say that. Try them yourself if at all possible, although they're tough to find on dealer lots.
There has been a lot of discussion and debate over the Competition Seats here over the last several months. I took a chance and ordered them without a chance to sit in any ahead of time. Both my wife and I are larger than average (I am 6’1” - currently 275 lbs. – 44” waist – 50” jacket) and I was a bit apprehensive given reports of how uncomfortable they were and how they should only be ordered for a Track car. Let me say I have NO REGRETS on the Comp. Seats, and I would order them again. I will honestly state what I think the pros and cons are of the seats.
Pros are the additional support and the look. Several people have asked me if they are custom or after-market. When I went on the News Year Drive with the Porsches I locked in the shoulder harness and the seat really held me in place. The feeling, while not as confined as my race car seat and 6-point harness, allowed me to feel what the car was doing through my butt and back. This is very important for high performance driving. The long term support and comfort is also very good. We drove three 750 mile days from BG to SoCal and back-leg comfort was never a problem. My wife agreed.
Cons are the perceived initial comfort. When I first sit in the seat it does feel like it is pinching my back and outer-upper thighs. However, once I get used to it the seats are just fine. I am working to get myself back in shape and I am sure once I drop some inches even this will no longer be an issue.
Bottom line these seats are not for everyone. If you plan on high performance driving and like the looks of the Comp. seats go for them, but be aware they are no fluffy easy chair. A good analogy is a mesh ergo office chair. It doesn’t feel as good as the overstuffed easy chair when you first sit down, but your back will feel a lot better after siting in it for hours. If possible you should try to sit in the Comp. seats before you buy, especially if you are larger than a 36” waist and a 40” jacket.
Another 400+ miles this last weekend.
We drove from Upland to San Diego and back on Saturday. About 1/3 freeway and 2/3 back roads. Yesterday was down to Newport Beach and back.
I have almost 4,000 miles in mine and would not hesitate to order them again.
It seems as more members get cars with comp seats, more people like them. Many people have a negative reaction to the feel when first sitting in them, but after a few hundred miles really like them. A few have sensitivity to the seat cushion pressure on the outer-upper thighs. Which is why anyone considering the comp seats should try them first.
430 miles on m7 C7 with comp seats including a nice 90 mile canyon/coast run and I still love them. They seem to be getting more comfortable as I accumulate more miles. I assume that's because the foam is breaking in a bit. That's not say they were not comfortable when I first got the car because they were and I loved them from the start but the more I drive the car the more I love them. That said, I'm not sure sitting in a brand new car with comp seats will really give you a good idea of their comfort. You can get an idea of how the bolsters feel provided you take the time to play with the adjustments but the seat base comfort will improve with some time to break them in. At least that's my experience. As I said earlier in this thread, I'm a small guy at 5'6" and 150 pounds. I did however meet a 6' guy at Supercar Sunday last weekend who had the standard seats in his C7 and he asked to sit in my car. He was a heavier set guy and he really liked the feel of the comp seats. I was a bit surprised as I had my side bolsters set to fit my smaller body frame too and I offered to let him adjust them but he didn't bother. I figured they would really pinch him but as I said, he really liked the feel of the seats too. Then again, his C7 was a track car and as such, he was accustomed to tight fitting, hold you in place seating.
FWIW, those considering the comp seats, I got my car sight unseen and never had the opportunity to sit in a car with the comp seats. While comp seats were not a priority in my search for my C7, I am REALLY glad my car has them and I have to admit that I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE them! We are really lucky to have such great seating options in the new C7. Especially given that fact that the C6 seats left much to be desired. These seats are so much better than the C6 seats that I still have a hard time believing that this car is actually a Corvette. Between the seats and the updated interior, this car is so far ahead of the last generation that it's still astonishing to me.
Yes, same controls, heat, vent, and memory as GT Seats.
This is true. I have been told by a very reputable vendor here that the frame and electronics in the GT and competition seats is identical. The ONLY difference is the padding, back and accessories. That is, buy new padding, back and leather and you can convert between the two seats. It makes sense that GM would use the same frame and internals.
I was completely on board with the idea of ordering the competition seats until I read a recent magazine review and they basically said that the seats are mostly for looks with little additional support over the stock seats. I guess I'll have to try them first.
While I have no driving time in the GT seats, I've sat in them at the dealership. One thing I can tell you is that these comp seats hold you in place like nothing I've ever experienced before. I owned two C6's prior to my C7 and we all know the lack of support those seats offered. I also own a custom 68 Camaro with some very high end Recaro seats in it and these comp seats are on par if not better than any seat I have ever had the pleasure to sit in from a support and hold you in place standpoint and I've owned a lot of cars. If I take into account the heating and cooling features along with all the adjustability than nothing I've experienced even comes close.
While I've not been the track yet, I have taken a spirited and long canyon run in my new car which I've only had for 10 days and 430 miles now. I can tell you that there is no sliding or moving side to side in these seats. You are glued in place no matter how hard you hit a turn which is something my 09 Z06 really lacked in comparison. As I said in my previous post, these seats are really something that only those with some seat time can truly appreciate. I wish I had some time in the GT seats so I could be objective but based on my experience with these comp seats, they really are that good. They are a giant leap ahead from anything ever offered in a Corvette in terms of comfort, styling and function. Having said that, even the GT seats are leaps and bounds better than those offered in the C6.
Thats some great info. I had not seen that before. Thanks for sharing!
Originally Posted by stevebz06
I was completely on board with the idea of ordering the competition seats until I read a recent magazine review and they basically said that the seats are mostly for looks with little additional support over the stock seats. I guess I'll have to try them first.
While I have no driving time in the GT seats, I've sat in them at the dealership. One thing I can tell you is that these comp seats hold you in place like nothing I've ever experienced before. I owned two C6's prior to my C7 and we all know the lack of support those seats offered. I also own a custom 68 Camaro with some very high end Recaro seats in it and these comp seats are on par if not better than any seat I have ever had the pleasure to sit in and I've owned a lot of cars.
While I've not been the track yet, I have taken a spirited and long canyon run in my new car which I've only had for 10 days and 430 miles now. I can tell you that there is no sliding or moving side to side in these seats. You are glued in place no matter how hard you hit a turn which is something my 09 Z06 really lacked in comparison. As I said in my previous post, these seats are really something that only those with some seat time can truly appreciate. I wish I had some time in the GT seats so I could be objective but based on my experience with these comp seats, they really are that good. They are a giant leap ahead from anything ever offered in a Corvette in terms of comfort, styling and function. Having said that, even the GT seats are leaps and bounds better than those offered in the C6.
I will also add that my car is essentially a daily driver despite the fact that it's my only car. That said, these seats in the C7 are at the very least as comfortable as those in my last two C6's. In fact, I'd even go as far as to say this car is more comfortable to drive without absolutely no fatigue. This is coming from somebody who broke his back several years ago and still has the 60% compressed vertebrae to prove it!
One thing I can tell you is that these comp seats hold you in place like nothing I've ever experienced before...
I can tell you that there is no sliding or moving side to side in these seats. You are glued in place no matter how hard you hit a turn ...
I wish I had some time in the GT seats so I could be objective but based on my experience with these comp seats, they really are that good.
this comparison would be interesting as looking at the pictures the difference looks very small.
the bottom part losk 100% is identical. and WITHOUT big hips bolsters which otherwise would prevent a from butt sliding.
shoulders support is less but lower back bolsters are a bit more - this probably helps to hold a pelvis in place.
but the difference look quite small.
this is from looking at picture.
There probably great seats, but I am not sure they are worth $2500, it has to be a HUGE money maker for GM. Some extra bolstering and foam for that much....
Once you put a harness in this car your not going to be moving around much anyway. I like the stock seats, I went back to the dealer yesterday to try them both out again, I can't see a huge difference between them.
There probably great seats, but I am not sure they are worth $2500, it has to be a HUGE money maker for GM. Some extra bolstering and foam for that much....
Once you put a harness in this car your not going to be moving around much anyway. I like the stock seats, I went back to the dealer yesterday to try them both out again, I can't see a huge difference between them.
A set of Carvaggio seats would run you $5-6K. Sounds like an outstanding deal from GM to me.
Try paying $9k for Porsche comp seats $2495 is a deal.
Where did you get that price from??? Sorry but you are WAY OFF. Just adding Sport Seats on a Porsche is $800, for Full Adaptive (18 Way Power) it is $3825, but the difference between regular adaptive and sport is still under $1500. I still do not get why people need 18 way power seats on a sports car. Not to mention Porsche adds extra Bolster on the bottom of the seat as well, GM only changes the seat backs. Bottom line is this is HUGE margin for GM, this seats I would bet cost no more than $200 or so additional to make than the regular ones.
I personally would have to sit in both to see which fit me better, I do not track a lot so I would get which ever was more comfortable.