Sparco vs SAAS

t_bund · Postby **t_bund** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 11:51 pm

Hi everyone,

I have been looking into the various seat setups people have and searched through many posts to find that a lot of aftermarket seats do not fit the small size of the mx5 cabin (NA/NB). It seems that Sparco sprints are a very popular affordable choice, however I've stumbled upon SAAS Mach II as a potential alternative?

http://shopsaas.com/html/seats_mach2.html

Has any body had these or know much about these?

How do they compare to Sparco sprints in terms of comfort? (I believe Sparco use stock rails?)

Are either suited to the duties of daily driving? (Understanding that they are more difficult to get in and out of and are suited to people of slimmer builds)

Both look similar in design and are ADR approved!

Let me know your feedback/thoughts!

Cheers

Tom

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ianoz · Postby **ianoz** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 9:59 pm

Don't know of the SAAS but have a Sparco Sprint V.

Mounts to the stock rails - you just need to drill a hole in each runner as the mount points are slightly different spacing to the stock seat. Has the advantage that it makes it easier to get in/out of the car by sliding the seat back

I'd double check on the ADR if that's important to you. AFAIK the Sparco is FIA approved but doesn't have ADR. FIA is more stringent so it's not a safety issue - just a compliance label one.

I fit the seat perfectly, but for a lot of people the shoulder wings are tight. Being a steel frame you _might_ be able to bend them out a bit??

Comfort wise I only drive it to the track (or trailer to the further ones) so not so much of a problem. Certainly not as comfortable as the stock seat for a long drive.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 10:10 pm

Personally I hated the SprintV I sat in, as above the shoulders were way to tight for me.

I didn't mind the old OBX seat I had, which I suspect is likely similar (or even the same as) the SAAS one shown.

The OBX had maybe 2inches more room for hips, and heaps more shoulder room.

My current seat is so far the best i've found for comfort and headroom, it's a Mazdaspeed B-Spec seat.
But, if you want shoulder support it's no good, since it has no shoulder wings at all

t_bund · Postby **t_bund** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 7:15 am

ianoz wrote:Comfort wise I only drive it to the track (or trailer to the further ones) so not so much of a problem. Certainly not as comfortable as the stock seat for a long drive.

Do you think you would be able to daily this seat or too much compromise? I like the convenience of using the stock rails, wonder if SAAS is the same.

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t_bund · Postby **t_bund** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 7:19 am

hks_kansei wrote:The OBX had maybe 2inches more room for hips, and heaps more shoulder room.

My current seat is so far the best i've found for comfort and headroom, it's a Mazdaspeed B-Spec seat.

I've seen only a handful of mazdaspeed seats around recently and are around $1500 for a pair in good condition. The SAAS can be had for as little as $250 each new. I know you get what you pay for but its a very low price. Is there another option I'm missing for reasonably comfortable seats with more support? Without forking out loads of $$?

Also I've read about OBX seats in previous threads but can never find them! Are they no longer produced?

Thanks for the reply guys

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The American · Postby **The American** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 7:36 am

If comfort is a priority, find another set of stock rails for your racing seat and just bolt it in when you need it, and stick with your factory seat for daily duties.

If you do this, the Sparco is a relatively easy choice for a cheap seat.

The Sparco is not particularly comfortable when bolted to stock rails as it is bolt upright. I've got mine on Garage Star rails that allow a fixed back seat to be mounted with some tilt adjustment.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 7:53 am

Not sure if the OBX are still made, I havent seen them for a while either.

As far as the saas ones go, see if you can find measurements and then spend some time with a tape measure in the car, there's a lot of seats that just dont fit in an MX5 because the shoulders hit the doors.

As for comfort, I think Autobarn are SAAS stockists from memory, so you can probably drop into one and sit in one of the display seats.

t_bund · Postby **t_bund** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 9:47 am

The American wrote:If comfort is a priority, find another set of stock rails for your racing seat and just bolt it in when you need it, and stick with your factory seat for daily duties.

If you do this, the Sparco is a relatively easy choice for a cheap seat.

The Sparco is not particularly comfortable when bolted to stock rails as it is bolt upright. I've got mine on Garage Star rails that allow a fixed back seat to be mounted with some tilt adjustment.

While this might be an option, I was kind of hoping to have a seat in there permanently so when I go for a drive in twisty areas, I've got that extra support.

I like the sound of those garage star rails, tilt adjustment for a fixed back would help a lot

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t_bund · Postby **t_bund** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 9:50 am

hks_kansei wrote:Not sure if the OBX are still made, I havent seen them for a while either.

As far as the saas ones go, see if you can find measurements and then spend some time with a tape measure in the car, there's a lot of seats that just dont fit in an MX5 because the shoulders hit the doors.

As for comfort, I think Autobarn are SAAS stockists from memory, so you can probably drop into one and sit in one of the display seats.

Didn't know that autobarn stocked them! I'll definitely have to go test them out for comfort. I think I saw the dimensions previously and think the SAAS do fit width wise in shoulders, but would definitely be double checking.

If they're not suited to daily duties I'll have to try find another style of seat...!

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t_bund · Postby **t_bund** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 12:34 pm

For reference if anybody is interested. I think Sparco sprint shoulders are 520mm wide and base and 518mm at the thigh/hip widest point. So SAAS Mach 2 seems to be very slightly wider, hopefully wouldn't foul the door trims/trans tunnel etc

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hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 8:24 pm

t_bund wrote:Didn't know that autobarn stocked them! I'll definitely have to go test them out for comfort. I think I saw the dimensions previously and think the SAAS do fit width wise in shoulders, but would definitely be double checking.

Check before making the trip to one, I know they have other SAAS stuff, pod filters etc, but not sure of they have the seats on hand normally.
I have seen ones with a few seats on display, but never actually took note of the branding.

t_bund · Postby **t_bund** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 8:27 pm

hks_kansei wrote:
t_bund wrote:Didn't know that autobarn stocked them! I'll definitely have to go test them out for comfort. I think I saw the dimensions previously and think the SAAS do fit width wise in shoulders, but would definitely be double checking.

Check before making the trip to one, I know they have other SAAS stuff, pod filters etc, but not sure of they have the seats on hand normally.
I have seen ones with a few seats on display, but never actually took note of the branding.

Yeh will do. Were there any other low cost options I should be looking at? Saw a SE with Bride Low Max's in it a few weeks ago, looked awesome but sadly they're not cheap

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hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 8:33 pm

I've seen "drift" brand ones at Autobarn as well, I think they're also ADR approved.

From chatting with the guy at my local autobarn last time I was there he said that Drift and SAAS are actually the same company, and SAAS are slowly discontinuing the Drift branding and going back to just SAAS.

So you might be able to get one cheap if it's being runout.

jacobraftery · Postby **jacobraftery** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 10:26 pm

I've had a pair of SAAS seats, they are fine... ADR Approved, but can be a pain to find compatible rails etc.
Definitely not the quality of Sparco, Bride etc... But at a fraction of the price. They hold you nice and firm, and I'll be honest, were more comfortable than
a few Recaro variants.

cookie · Postby **cookie** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 11:55 pm

t_bund wrote:For reference if anybody is interested. I think Sparco sprint shoulders are 520mm wide and base and 518mm at the thigh/hip widest point. So SAAS Mach 2 seems to be very slightly wider, hopefully wouldn't foul the door trims/trans tunnel etc

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Fwiw I've managed to fit a seat 70 mm wider in the wings than a sprint. Hits door card slightly and was a mission to space out correctly but it fitted with nothing modified on a pci rail. Food for thought.