V8 Vantage S Seat options

[AlexNJ89]

I couldn't find a dedicated thread for this.

I have the standard seats in my V8V S and I despise them. Drove 3 hours at the weekend and had back ache.

Are there any good alternative options?

I'm assuming it wouldn't be possible to put DB11 seats in to a VH platform car?

It would be good to try to maintain an OEM look rather than a big RECARO branding on the headrests.

Thanks

[Phil74891]

I had the same issue with my V8VS seats back in 2013. In 2014 I swapped the car for a V12VS with the lightweight seats and I’ve been very happy with those, and the car, ever since. In fact for me, the lightweights are the best seats I’ve had in any car.

I know some V8 and V12 owners on here have changed between the seats, but it can be quite an expensive process. Might actually be more cost effective to switch cars, if you can find one with the lightweights. I probably wouldn’t fit non Aston seats, and it’s very unlikely you could get later generation versions to fit.

[AMV8Stuart]

I just changed mine to Cobra Nogaro's because of lower back pain and better half needing better support when I get a bit enthusiastic in the twistys. I went for their 'AM' design with no logos Nappa leather and Dinamica - looks very much designed to be there and no back pain.

[Nigel_O]

I really struggled with the standard seats in my ‘07 V8V when I first got it. I’d previously had a leggy old Alfa GT with the best seats I’ve ever had - ten-hour days without even a twinge.

The Vantage caused me quite severe back pain after just a couple of hours behind the wheel, but there was no way I was spending thousands on a car that only cost £30k, so I persevered. Eventually, I found a seat setting that worked and I’ve never suffered since, doing several 12+ hour days in it.

For me, it was a combination of the seat squab angle, plus the lumbar setting. I’ve tilted the squab back quite a bit and juggled the two lumbar supports and it’s pretty much perfect now. My son and I did Staffordshire to Inverness (via the Old Military Road past Glenshee and on to Tomintoul) in one hit, then most of the NC500 in three days, then Glasgow back to Staffordshire again and we were both fine

[AlexNJ89]

AMV8Stuart said:

I just changed mine to Cobra Nogaro's because of lower back pain and better half needing better support when I get a bit enthusiastic in the twistys. I went for their 'AM' design with no logos Nappa leather and Dinamica - looks very much designed to be there and no back pain.

This could be the way to go for me. Thanks

[AlexNJ89]

Nigel_O said:

I really struggled with the standard seats in my ‘07 V8V when I first got it. I’d previously had a leggy old Alfa GT with the best seats I’ve ever had - ten-hour days without even a twinge.

The Vantage caused me quite severe back pain after just a couple of hours behind the wheel, but there was no way I was spending thousands on a car that only cost £30k, so I persevered. Eventually, I found a seat setting that worked and I’ve never suffered since, doing several 12+ hour days in it.

For me, it was a combination of the seat squab angle, plus the lumbar setting. I’ve tilted the squab back quite a bit and juggled the two lumbar supports and it’s pretty much perfect now. My son and I did Staffordshire to Inverness (via the Old Military Road past Glenshee and on to Tomintoul) in one hit, then most of the NC500 in three days, then Glasgow back to Staffordshire again and we were both fine

I've genuinely played around with every position and can't find a position that works for me.

[Davil]

Nigel_O said:

I really struggled with the standard seats in my ‘07 V8V when I first got it. I’d previously had a leggy old Alfa GT with the best seats I’ve ever had - ten-hour days without even a twinge.

The Vantage caused me quite severe back pain after just a couple of hours behind the wheel, but there was no way I was spending thousands on a car that only cost £30k, so I persevered. Eventually, I found a seat setting that worked and I’ve never suffered since, doing several 12+ hour days in it.

For me, it was a combination of the seat squab angle, plus the lumbar setting. I’ve tilted the squab back quite a bit and juggled the two lumbar supports and it’s pretty much perfect now. My son and I did Staffordshire to Inverness (via the Old Military Road past Glenshee and on to Tomintoul) in one hit, then most of the NC500 in three days, then Glasgow back to Staffordshire again and we were both fine

I got mine perfect too to the extent that they are some of the best seats I have ever sat in for longer journeys. The trick is to get full thigh support. Lack of thigh support is what causes the back pain. I suspect that’s what you have done too.

[LTP]

+1 for the standard "Sports" seats.

I also had backache when I first got the car until I found the best combination of positions. For me that meant having the backrest a little more upright than I would have liked for optimum eyeline height, otherwise vertical suspension motion pounded my lower back and kidneys.

I'm 6' 3" with a 35" in-seam and weigh just under 13st (180 lbs), but I was genetically "gifted" with a wide pelvis, to the point where the "lightweight" seats are just too narrow. Even my "Sports" seat puts pressure on the outside of my thighs I could do without

The Aston seat adjustment is not intuitive compared to most other car seats I've ever had. If you adjust the cushion rake on the Aston seat it also adjusts the back angle (whereas in most cars I've had the two are independent), so you have to get the cushion rake right first. If you have the memory seat there's also the anti-clash, which will drive the backrest more upright if you drive the seat back where it might hit the trim.

edited to add
Personally I'm not sure I'd fit aftermarket seats in my road car now, as this would mean sacrificing the side airbag (I know some aftermarket seats do provide adjustable lumbar and heating, which I'd also miss). I'd also be concerned that they wouldn't have been crash-tested in the particular Vantage installation to confirm the complete restrains system all works together, which Aston has done. Even more so for the passenger side

Edited by LTP on Thursday 27th February 09:32

[vet652000]

The real question is why does Aston Martin engineer and install such crappy seats in a 150-200k Automobile.
Are they just relying on the seat supplier? Do they not do some testing with various sized people? The fact that they like it to be called a luxury sports car, but seems they forgot the luxury part as it applies to seats!

[AlexNJ89]

vet652000 said:

The real question is why does Aston Martin engineer and install such crappy seats in a 150-200k Automobile.
Are they just relying on the seat supplier? Do they not do some testing with various sized people? The fact that they like it to be called a luxury sports car, but seems they forgot the luxury part as it applies to seats!

They may think that they are good seats. Because you can get an aftermarket seat for £200 these days and they do the job.

I also learned that the space for a seat is very very narrow compared to most cars, which I didn't expect. So much so that only the Cobra Nogaros actually fit the car (and were designed with the Aston Martin Vantage in mind).

So it makes me wonder if the space restriction made them go with some odd design choices.

I still don't know what makes them so uncomfortable either, someone above suggested the base support. I've theorised it's the angle of the lower back support, but it could also be the way it is padded at the base.

[franki68]

Similar experience to others ,hated the seat at first as I got backache after a short drive but after a good mess around with it it’s now fine and I can drive without picking up back pain .

[LTP]

vet652000 said:

The real question is why does Aston Martin engineer and install such crappy seats in a 150-200k Automobile.

I guess your post is actually a rhetorical way to have a little rant, but I shall treat it as serious and answer your points from experience. Seats are a very personal thing, as everyone is different. You only have to look at the love/hate for the Sorts and Lightweight seats in threads on here (including this one). Having said that, the VH seats are definitely not industry-leading.

vet652000 said:

Are they just relying on the seat supplier?

No. The seats are designed and assembled in-house. The frames are bought in (Recaro) and based on a standard design by the supplier but "tweaked" to suit Aston. The overall appearance of the seats is decided by what I would call "Styling" but what is now more commonly known as "Design", so the seating engineers have that as a constraint, along with the packaging (which is also significantly constrained by the overall vehicle Design). Foams are designed to achieve the desired end shape then sourced from foam manufacturers and cover patterns are developed to allow the covers to be cut and sewn and seats to be trimmed.

vet652000 said:

Do they not do some testing with various sized people?

Yes they do. They actually have a seat comfort panel (or did) and defined road routes to try to standardise what is, after all, a subjective exercise. They, like most manufacturers, work on designing for a 5%ile to 95%ile occupant range (and some of those percentiles were from a standard that's quite old - there was some updating for the 2C cars) so if you're outside of those percentiles (as I am, in several dimensions) then you will inevitably be compromised. The size and style of the car means the compromise will become more evident sooner - I can get the seats to a much better position in my daily Volvo, but then the cabin volume in a Volvo is significantly larger. There was some "push back" during the development phase by Engineering against the original seat style for the 2C cars, as well as some Marketing feedback, which led to the 2C seats being a lot better (although with a shorter cushion).

vet652000 said:

The fact that they like it to be called a luxury sports car, but seems they forgot the luxury part as it applies to seats!

"Luxury" is a slippery concept. AML use high quality hides and materials, are manufactured on site and you can go and see the seats being stitched, trimmed and assembled by hand next to the assembly lines (or at least you could; I have no idea what the situation is today). You can choose from an extensive range of colours and grades of leather or, if you are prepared to pay, even have unique colours and (within limits) materials. Some people would describe that, rather than the mass-produced, any-colour-as-long-as-it's-black seats some manufacturers have delivered to them on trucks as the very epitome of luxury. Not only that, but some people find the VH seats perfectly comfortable and fit-for-purpose.

Edited by LTP on Sunday 2nd March 09:41

[Seakingsam]

I concur with both Nigel_O and Davil that it is possible to get a reasonably comfortable (but not perfect) seating position in the V8 Vantage S seats, although you really have to work at it.

Both Nigel_O and David are correct, in my view, to set the seat squab angle first with good thigh support, and set the two lumbar supports appropriately. My own settings (two V8VS, 100,000 kms over last 7 years) call for seat well back on the runners, so that arm is comfortably loose and easy access to manual shift and left ankle can work clutch with some finesse, with a (surprisingly) steep seat squab for that thigh support, with lower lumbar set to zero, and upper lumbar set to just touching my back, and then the seat back angled well back - semi-reclining does it for me, without having to hold my self in place with my arms.

I will often use a small soft Racetech lumbar support for long trips which I will relocate or discard to ease any mild aches or pains.

With those settings, I can comfortably drive the car for long periods with only a little niggle, now and again, over my left kidney. Repositioning my backside back into the seat sorts that relatively quickly.

Attached photo is from a video of Aston's technical driving specialist around 2008 demonstrating the lap time advantage for the "new" Sportshift over a manual - his reclining seating position highlights Davil's comment about great thigh support, and his reclining position is pretty close to my best setting. The full video shows just how comfortable he is at pace, and how economical in his movements - worth checking out on YouTube.

Regarding AM lightweight seats, I'd have them in an instant, as I've tried them several times in a V12VS and they are supremely comfortable. I had asked Aston Martin Auckland for a retro-fit price and damned near fell over when quoted 25,000Stg ! When I got off the floor, they said they could shift pricing to around 17,500Stg - ye Gods ! These days, those are well-used V8V prices ! Madness !

I subsequently contacted Mark Dunsford, MD of Cobra Seats, to discuss the Nogaro option. To Mark's credit, he said at the time there was much more work to do to satisfy himself there was a thoroughly sorted after-market Nogaro solution for the V8VS, and at that time he wouldn't recommend I do it. Cobra may very well have resolved the issues by now, but I thought at the time Mark demonstrated true integrity and commitment to the customer, and I, for one, was particularly grateful for his approach.

A final point - I've spent the NZ summer using a recently fitted iconic AM alloy manual gear knob - it's a bit taller, fits the hand better, and is much more tactile in feeling the shift through the gears. For me, it also helps the comfort of the seating position, funnily enough. Just a thought ...

Edited by Seakingsam on Monday 3rd March 03:09

Edited by Seakingsam on Monday 3rd March 03:10

[Wafu7]

Seakingsam said:

I
A final point - I've spent the NZ summer using a recently fitted iconic AM alloy manual gear knob - it's a bit taller, fits the hand better, and is much more tactile in feeling the shift through the gears. For me, it also helps the comfort of the seating position, funnily enough. Just a thought

It’s certainly a darned sight cheaper an adaptation than two retrofitted lightweight seats, even if you pay full RRP for the DBS / V12 gearstick!!

[Seakingsam]

The Racetech lumbar support is a useful addition in the standard seat. Easy enough to relocate periodically on long runs, but I tend to leave it as positioned in the photo. To be found on the rear parcel shelf within easy reach, whenever required.