Lightweight seats or not?

[lime1]

Looking at one of 2 Vantage V8's. One midnight blue with baltic blue interior and lightweight seats or quantum silver with black interior and standard seats. Think I prefer the silver car and it probably has better resale potential. I don't dislike the blue but I'm not sure about the lightweight seats. Lack of tilt may upset my other half! One dealer also says lightweight seats less attractive for resale as is blue and blue. Anyone have any comments?

[Adam2S]

I think baltic blue isnt a very sporty colour but lightweight seats are a sporty option. In my opinion they are significantly better than the std seats but in the wrong combo such as this they could well adversly affect resale value. In a N420 or a V12 then they are pretty much always advantageous, but here I think you would be better off with the QS car.

[cerealsurfer]

And you don't have to live with the Blue interior...!! Which personally I think will impact resale appeal.

[Knights of Aston]

If by sports seats you refer to the one piece unit I guess it depends if you want to alter the backrest adjustment seperate from the base adjustment. They tend to stay pretty comfortable though on a long journey.

[lime1]

Thanks for your comments. I've now found a quantum silver car with black interior and lightweight seats plus sportspack upgrade which seems a better option to me.

[Kevin VRs]

Just buy the car that appeals to you the most. Who cares what the next owner wants.....

[SHIFTY]

Was that a roadster or a coupe?

[lime1]

SHIFTY said:

Was that a roadster or a coupe?

Coupe. It's probably the spec I like the best out of the 3.

[mikey k]

Try the sport seats on a decent drive.
I loved the look of them and really really wanted them.
Having tried them in a V12, N420 and a roadster I could not get comfortable in them.

They have a lot less adjustment, heaters are not an option and are a pain to get behind them

Having said all that I still like them

[Adam2S]

mikey k said:

Try the sport seats on a decent drive.
I loved the look of them and really really wanted them.
Having tried them in a V12, N420 and a roadster I could not get comfortable in them.

They have a lot less adjustment, heaters are not an option and are a pain to get behind them

Having said all that I still like them

Just for the sake of 100% clarity here which seats are which...

The sports seats are the ones fitted as standard to most V8's - they have the option of heating and are fully adjustable in 10-ways and have side airbags.

The lightweight seats are the carbon fibre bucket seats fitted as standard to V12V and N420. They only have 6-way adjustability and cannot be heated and do not have side airbags, however in my opinion are far far more confortable.

Both types of seat have the option of memory settings.

I never got on with the sports seats in my V8V - I could never quite get 100% comfy in them, but I am totally in love with the lightweight seats in my V12V, they are just stunning. Far more grip and yet significantly more comfortable at the same time, plus being something like 8kg lighter each. The only real issue is they only suit the small-medium framed person. If you have a "fuller figure" then you arnt going to get on with them!

Edited by Adam2S on Friday 24th September 20:34

[SHIFTY]

I am still a little confused as to what is the standard seat in the N420 as AM spec on line states that the lightweight seats are an option, but in the AM V8 Vantage N420 brochure it states that the "electically adjustable lightweight seats are standard" with the Sports seats inc air bags as an option.

I had a go in the N420 at the homecoming day and must admit the seats were better in the N420, but what ones are fitted as standard to the N420?.

Edited by SHIFTY on Friday 24th September 21:00

[lime1]

I imagine the lightweight seats are still a lot more adjustable than the seats in my TVR. There's only forwards, back and seatback tilt with a hand pump lumbar pump that does very little. That said I find them very comfortable. Being of regular build hopefully the lightweight seats should fit the bill.

[Adam2S]

lime1 said:

I imagine the lightweight seats are still a lot more adjustable than the seats in my TVR. There's only forwards, back and seatback tilt with a hand pump lumbar pump that does very little. That said I find them very comfortable. Being of regular build hopefully the lightweight seats should fit the bill.

The lightweight seats are a fixed carbon fibre bucket so have no backrest tild adjustment, but they do have the following adjustments :

• move forward / backwards
• front tilt up / down
• back tilt up / down
• Rear seat back panel removes to reveal two different sized lumbar cushions that are secured by velcro and can be repositioned.

[GPM3D]

My 'old' (57) V8 had the standard seats and my new V8 has the lightweight versions. I initially had very mixed feelings about them, looked great but........!
However, once I got them set in the correct position and 'memorised' they're brilliant and really comfortable.
My car's a SportShift - exact same spec as N420, when I drove a V12 the seat 'wings' tended to push my shoulders forward and made the gear changing awkward.
Graham

[cerealsurfer]

GPM3D said:

My 'old' (57) V8 had the standard seats and my new V8 has the lightweight versions. I initially had very mixed feelings about them, looked great but........!
However, once I got them set in the correct position and 'memorised' they're brilliant and really comfortable.
My car's a SportShift - exact same spec as N420, when I drove a V12 the seat 'wings' tended to push my shoulders forward and made the gear changing awkward.
Graham

I found this a problem as well when test driving a V12 with Lightweight Seats. 2nd, 4th and 6th become a shoulder joint challenge, not ideal for quick shifts and decided it certainly is not an option I would take on a V12. then again the gearbox is licated slightly further back on the V12V.