Cayman GTS Order - Sports Bucket Seats - Help - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hi all, Put my deposit down at my OPC yesterday for my Cayman GTS. Spec is nearly finalised but I was hoping you could help with a two questions I have about the Sport Buckets before going ahead with them. 1) Is the backrest manually adjustable or fixed 2) What is the comfort of them actually like for day to day driving (this will be my only car and I do about 10k per year) I'm in my late twenties, slim, but have suffered with minor/occasional back pain from a sports injury in the past and whilst I would like to opt for the seats because they look great and I've heard they are really supportive, I am keen to understand what people on here think of them for day to day driving/comfort because I don't want to be kicking myself weeks in after if they start becoming a 'pain'. (excuse the pun) Thanks, Michael

Worth trying to test drive a Cayman/Boxster with the seats fitted before choosing. not a 15 minute drive around the block but a reasonable journey to test suitability for you. I love the bucket seats but found the lack of seat back adjustment meant I could not get comfortable. Everyone is different so you might be fine but worth trying before you buy as difficult/expensive to change later.

They are only adjustable fore and aft, nothing else. Very comfortable but a pain to get over the side bolster, particularly if you can't open the door fully. Worth putting something over the bolster to protect it from wear.

It's quite difficult to find a car that's local to me with buckets, if anyone is aware of any in the Manchester / Cheshire area then please let me know. Does the backrest not adjust? I heard the angle of them is more forgiving (less upright) than the buckets in a GT3, is that correct?

I had the same dilemma bucket seats or Sports plus. In the end as I will not be taking the car on track very much I opted for the Sports plus which allow you to move the bolsters in and out and to be honest hold you as secure as the buckets. As others have said try them, Silverstone Experience centre have both options and I tried both on the experience day.

Just adjustment for the whole seat back and forth, no back adjustment or lumber. (Though I believe other thickness pads are available) My car is not daily use but I have done a few long trips with several hours at the wheel. I have never found the seats uncomfortable. Very supportive and great driving position. They look great also, I love the carbon backs to them. Shame you don't see them more often. Getting in and out is a little more arkward, but not really a reason not to spec them in my opinion. I think they add a bit of flare to the car. If you've got it for driving pleasure they really add to experience.

Thanks for your initial comments guys, people with experience of them, please keep letting me know your thoughts... Going to try and hunt a car down with them to try them for real before taking the plunge, I need to lock my build in asap though.

I'd echo the comments already about getting in and out of the car. If you are not careful there can begin to look tatty quite quickly. The only time I had issues with back pain were on a 900 mile round trip to the highlands. One other consideration that might not affect you now, you can’t fit a child seat in the bucket, at least not in the CR that I was running. My new car has the adaptive sport seats, which are a good compromise.

rudester said: I'd echo the comments already about getting in and out of the car. If you are not careful there can begin to look tatty quite quickly. The only time I had issues with back pain were on a 900 mile round trip to the highlands. One other consideration that might not affect you now, you can’t fit a child seat in the bucket, at least not in the CR that I was running. My new car has the adaptive sport seats, which are a good compromise. No kids for the not too distant future, hence me being able to afford and have a sports car without the other half moaning! So, advice when parking, furthest away as possible to find a nice wide open space to get in and out of? it'll keep me fit eh?

I am a big fan of the Porsche buckets. I have the folding ones in both cars. I have done 5h trips in them and find them the most comfortable seats I know of. Much better than the armchairs in my previous Bentleys...

I'm a lot older and would find the buckets, as good as they may be, a pain to get in and out of. I went for the fully adjustable seats in the end and I'm very glad I did. It is a matter for each individual to choose but comfort and convenience are far more important than 'they look good' IMO. Mine are heated which is also a plus. Good luck, you'll love the car....

I was planning on getting them heated as well for that extra comfort. It's now a toss up now between paying more for GT Silver paint and keeping the standard GTS seats or going for Jet Black paint with the buckets. Decisions .. decisons!

I have the fixed buckets in my GT3 and I think they are great , no issues getting in or out ( and I am over 50 !) I just put my hand on the cill . Have had some long days in them driving round Europe , no issues . In my GTS I went for the standard seats , the folding buckets are just not comfortable for me , the backrest is at the wrong angle and as others have said , non adjustable . What's the point of a folding seat if the backrest only goes in one position . Make sure there comfortable for you or it's an expensive mistake to put right !

I've actually just this minute managed to find someone local to me with a Cayman S with the bucket seats. I'm going to have a drive of his car this week, I'll hopefully then be able to make a final decision. Let you know how I get on....

griffter said: They are only adjustable fore and aft, nothing else. Very comfortable but a pain to get over the side bolster, particularly if you can't open the door fully. ... which IMO makes them unsuitable for normal road car use. Probably make a used car harder to sell as well.

I had the buckets in my previous Cayman R and they are great when you are in them but as mentioned... they are a bit of a pain to get in and out of! I did find however that the rake of the seat base (not adjustable) a little too angled for my liking and after sitting in the std. and sports seats I find that they are more comfortable day to day and on long drives... so although I think the buckets are great in certain curcumstances, I personally would not spec them over the sports or std. seats. I would recommend ringing round a few places to see if you can find a GT3, Cayman R or Boxter spider which a majority have the buckets fitted just so you can sit in them and also see if you have a problem getting in and out on a regular basis Edited by sootyvrs on Monday 24th November 14:35

Ozzie Osmond said: ... which IMO makes them unsuitable for normal road car use. Probably make a used car harder to sell as well. There are plenty of cars around with standard seats so there is a very large market to choose from when it comes time to sell yours and make it stand out from the crowd. However, some people will be looking for a car specifically with buckets so I don't thinks it will make it harder to sell on. It really depends on the rest of the specification; if you go for comfort options and buckets then yes, it could be hard to move on. But if you go for sports suspension, sports exhaust etc then buckets would be expected imho. Just try them and see what you think. I find them very comfortable and not that difficult to get in and out of and I'm no 20 year old skinny athlete. I'm also in the Manchester / Cheshire area if your other option falls through and you want to try them out.

BubblesNW said: There are plenty of cars around with standard seats so there is a very large market to choose from when it comes time to sell yours and make it stand out from the crowd. However, some people will be looking for a car specifically with buckets so I don't thinks it will make it harder to sell on. It really depends on the rest of the specification; if you go for comfort options and buckets then yes, it could be hard to move on. But if you go for sports suspension, sports exhaust etc then buckets would be expected imho. Just try them and see what you think. I find them very comfortable and not that difficult to get in and out of and I'm no 20 year old skinny athlete. I'm also in the Manchester / Cheshire area if your other option falls through and you want to try them out. Hi BubblesNW, thanks for the offer, I will DM you now.

curley said: I have the fixed buckets in my GT3 and I think they are great , no issues getting in or out ( and I am over 50 !) I just put my hand on the cill . Have had some long days in them driving round Europe , no issues . +1 (except the over 50 bit)

miskalachi said: Hi all, Put my deposit down at my OPC yesterday for my Cayman GTS. Spec is nearly finalised but I was hoping you could help with a two questions I have about the Sport Buckets before going ahead with them. 1) Is the backrest manually adjustable or fixed 2) What is the comfort of them actually like for day to day driving (this will be my only car and I do about 10k per year) I'm in my late twenties, slim, but have suffered with minor/occasional back pain from a sports injury in the past and whilst I would like to opt for the seats because they look great and I've heard they are really supportive, I am keen to understand what people on here think of them for day to day driving/comfort because I don't want to be kicking myself weeks in after if they start becoming a 'pain'. (excuse the pun) Thanks, Michael I love my bucket seats, they are really supportive and comfortable. That said, if I had any previous back problem I would go for the premium adaptive seats without hesitation, they are very slick.

So after an hour or so driving this evening in a Cayman S with buckets, I've decided against them. For some, I guess they will be great but because of previous back issues, I felt pain kicking in within 20 minutes or so behind the wheel. It's a shame because I think they look incredible and really set the interior off, but as a few of you have mentioned, it would be an expensive mistake to make! So the final spec on the car; Cayman GTS GT Silver Metallic GTS Interior Pack (Carmine Red) Exterior mirror lower trims painted Electric folding outside mirrors ParkAssist rear Sports suspension X73 PDK 20-inch Carrera S wheel painted in satin black Smoking package Seat Heating BOSE PCM Phone Prep Very happy with choice but now for the wait..... Thanks for all your help and I'll be sure to stick around!

Satin black now available for UK?

RBT0 said: Satin black now available for UK? I believe so, after my OPC contacted Germany and quoted the I no. 344 that's in the UK Cayman brochure. Hopefully it goes through the system without any niggles, not been told otherwise yet..

Well done. Honestly when I ordered mine I was sure about satin platinum but my salesman told me he could have asked the headquarter for satin black, anyway expecting its availability in a couple of months; demonstration that now you can order it.

Well done. Honestly when I ordered mine I was sure about satin platinum but my salesman told me he could have asked the headquarter for satin black, anyway expecting its availability in a couple of months; demonstration that now you can order it.

RBT0 said: Well done. Honestly when I ordered mine I was sure about satin platinum but my salesman told me he could have asked the headquarter for satin black, anyway expecting its availability in a couple of months; demonstration that now you can order it. I hope so! time will tell. What colour car have you gone for?

Well done for testing the seats before speccing. I had same problem with Gallardo with fixed back sports seats. Looked great but not comfortable as I was too tall with the fixed back but fine with "normal" seats. Great spec BTW!!

miskalachi said: RBT0 said: Well done. Honestly when I ordered mine I was sure about satin platinum but my salesman told me he could have asked the headquarter for satin black, anyway expecting its availability in a couple of months; demonstration that now you can order it. I hope so! time will tell. What colour car have you gone for? Rhodium silver with satin platinum wheels.

Posting very late as I have been driving all day - I love this car. GT Silver, Carrera S Partial Painted, X73 - Standard GTS Interior, Leather Console Surround. I have the 18-Way Adjustable's - they are brilliant - full bolster adjustment - shoulder and thigh - so you can get it as sculpted as you like.

miskalachi said: Hi all, Put my deposit down at my OPC yesterday for my Cayman GTS. Spec is nearly finalised but I was hoping you could help with a two questions I have about the Sport Buckets before going ahead with them. 1) Is the backrest manually adjustable or fixed 2) What is the comfort of them actually like for day to day driving (this will be my only car and I do about 10k per year) I'm in my late twenties, slim, but have suffered with minor/occasional back pain from a sports injury in the past and whilst I would like to opt for the seats because they look great and I've heard they are really supportive, I am keen to understand what people on here think of them for day to day driving/comfort because I don't want to be kicking myself weeks in after if they start becoming a 'pain'. (excuse the pun) Thanks, Michael Hi Michael, I had a 991 GT3 with the sports buckets seats option. I went on a few very long drives in France and Italy, really liked them, and never felt uncomfortable. They are quite upright, and not adjustable in backrest angle. I would suggest that you choose them, but you mentioned that you have a previous sports injury which gives you back pain. I would imagine that if you suffer backpain while driving, then you may like to adjust the seating position..? In which case, for the sake of being safe, maybe best to chose the 14 way adjustable seats with lumbar, you are certain to then find a seating position that makes you comfortable..?

Hi, I have the same dilemma with the seat options for my GT4. Those carbon plastic bucket seats look fabulous but the car will be used 95% of the time on the road and so I'm speccing the car accordingly. Thanks a lot for your postings, it has given me confidence to spec the 18 way Sports Seats + on my car, I'm sure I will be happy with them.

i have buckets in my spyder and love them. i think it makes the car feel like a sports car. i went into OPC Chester today and had a sit in the standard and sports seats, i think they make the car feel like a saloon car not a sports car. when you are in a sports car it has to feel like it. the standard seats make it easier to get in and out of the car but if you need easy then you need a people carrier. well that is what i think and what do i know

I am in the same quandary as the OP, and keep on swinging between by initial spec of 18 way and folding buckets. But I think for fear of getting it wrong I will stay with my 18 way as I had Sports Adaptive on my GT3 and they were fine.

NBTBRV8 said: I am in the same quandary as the OP, and keep on swinging between by initial spec of 18 way and folding buckets. But I think for fear of getting it wrong I will stay with my 18 way as I had Sports Adaptive on my GT3 and they were fine. I was under the impression the the buckets are no longer available for the Cayman GTS!