Why Retro Fit?

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NewToZ4

Member
If you have or are planning on retro fitting your Z4 sits, why so, and to which seats?

I am still quite new to Z4's (name is valid), and have seen a lot about retro fitting seats, but I see no problem with the stock seats? (except that the heating aspect doesn't work but that's for another forum), so I'm trying to gauge if there's a reason to why, or just a stylistic choice. I am also wondering between what years, as my nearest scrap yard just got a 99, and I haven't checked the seats out yet, but I was wondering if it was worth it.

If responding to this thread, pictures of your conversion are definitely welcome, I'm a sucker for clean interiors :rofl: !
 
The main issue is that BMW fitted Sport seats to pre-facelifts with the (rarely specified) option of M-Sport seats.

On facelifts SE models had Sport seats as standard, but Sport models all had the M-Sport ones.

And the M-Sport seats look like they deserve to be in a 2 seater whereas the Sport ones look a bit sedate! As a result M-Sport seats often sell for £700/800, or possibly more if electric and heated.

Which is why people have explored other cheaper options like E46 M-Sport seats, and with some modifications seats from cars like Mazda RX8s among others.

Sport seats look like this.

Z4 Sport seats.jpg

These are M-Sport seats.


Z4 M Sport seats.jpg
 
The standard seats my Z4 were crap.

No lateral support at all, which means you need to consciously support yourself in the car to stay upright, which is distracting.

I've fitted some Recaros and all of that distraction has gone - you are so much more connected to the car as a result.

I drove a Ford Ka years ago which had the same problem - supposed to be a great car to chuck about, so hard into a corner and I very nearly ended up in the passenger seat...

EDIT - and you've mentioned heating, but there's also electric memory seats. If you share a car with someone else, these are super handy (esp when you sync the seat position to a key, although I'm not sure the Z4 can do this), and if you don't they are stupidly heavy when manual adjustment would do - so swapping manual to electric or vice versa can be sensible.
 
I was lucky enough to get a Z4 with the M Sport electric/memory/heated seats. Didn't realise how coveted they were (just thought the guy selling it to me was bigging the car up for the sale) but having driven a Z4 with the standard seats... I now realise why.

It's chalk and cheese. The standard seats are garbage in comparison. Go round a corner at a decent speed and it feels like you're going to fall out of the cab. So much movement and zero stability.

No offence to anyone with the standard seats but they really are completely gash in comparison.
 
I retrofitted the M-sport seats and for me the most annoying feature in the basic sport seats was that the manual seat base could not tilt, resulting in poor thigh support. I studied different options to modify the mechanism and iirc, using electric seat base parts that would have been doable. Anyhow, took the easy way out and bought a fine pair of M-sport seats, which were quite readily available from german ebay back then, ages ago.

On a positive note, the basic seats’ backrest felt better for my wife’s spine on long drives, the headrest was adjustable and the seat belt guide was better for shorter passengers. I still have them, they’re good as new, LHD and heated, just waiting for the price of good old classic seats to rocket. Anyone interested in just pm :D
 
Seat choice depends on several factors including the drivers dimensions, I'm just over 6' 2" (188cm) and 14 1/2 stone (90 kg) with back problems and I've never had an issue with my standard seats, whereas I find the sport seats cramped and the side bolsters obstructive. Sportier seats would be a nice upgrade for agile racing whippets :D
 
NewToZ4 said:
If you have or are planning on retro fitting your Z4 sits, why so, and to which seats?

I am still quite new to Z4's (name is valid), and have seen a lot about retro fitting seats, but I see no problem with the stock seats? (except that the heating aspect doesn't work but that's for another forum), so I'm trying to gauge if there's a reason to why, or just a stylistic choice. I am also wondering between what years, as my nearest scrap yard just got a 99, and I haven't checked the seats out yet, but I was wondering if it was worth it.

If responding to this thread, pictures of your conversion are definitely welcome, I'm a sucker for clean interiors :rofl: !
Click to expand...
Standard 'sports' seats as fitted in most pre-facelift models, and on post-facelift SE models, are not suited to a car like the zed - to most people. The photo shows the difference quite clearly.
IMG_20190213_115607.jpg
Replacing them with the more adjustable and more supportive M-sport seats is common - but they cost quite a bit. and seem to be becoming more scarce. Hence one reason why some people look elsewhere for replacements.
 
Sidewaze Samm said:
NewToZ4 said:
If you have or are planning on retro fitting your Z4 sits, why so, and to which seats?

I am still quite new to Z4's (name is valid), and have seen a lot about retro fitting seats, but I see no problem with the stock seats? (except that the heating aspect doesn't work but that's for another forum), so I'm trying to gauge if there's a reason to why, or just a stylistic choice. I am also wondering between what years, as my nearest scrap yard just got a 99, and I haven't checked the seats out yet, but I was wondering if it was worth it.

If responding to this thread, pictures of your conversion are definitely welcome, I'm a sucker for clean interiors :rofl: !
Click to expand...
Standard 'sports' seats as fitted in most pre-facelift models, and on post-facelift SE models, are not suited to a car like the zed - to most people. The photo shows the difference quite clearly.
IMG_20190213_115607.jpg
Replacing them with the more adjustable and more supportive M-sport seats is common - but they cost quite a bit. and seem to be becoming more scarce. Hence one reason why some people look elsewhere for replacements.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the picture! I finally understand now, cheers mate
 
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