Subaru's S203 seat aka Recaro Spx-CL100. Should you meet your Hero’s?

When the STi debuted in America it had a lot going for it. But one of the items that was hotly debated was the quality of the seats. While most found them adequate, there were plenty that quickly found a replacement for them

With so many options in the seat game it can be overwhelming to choose. But when there is a rare oem option most enthusiasts take note… like myself. I find myself oddly drawn to Oem performance options due to their fitment, quality and the likelihood that they were thoroughly tested.

Never thought this day would arrive.. but here we are.

I quickly replaced my factory seat due to the previous owner ruining the left side bolster. I found a relatively good priced Recaro Sport seat and installed it. I like it but it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. Overall it’s great but I wanted something a little more driver focused.

A great seat… but it is time for something different.

So after many many years of looking at seats, thinking about buying one a S203 seat.. I finally did. But one of the funny things I heard when I was speaking about it on social media was… Will you fit in it? I kinda laughed at that comment but I then started to think, maybe there is something to it. Of course right after I purchased it I read another talking about how it wasn’t that comfortable during longer drives.. Now, I am thinking I have made a mistake.

So now I am just awaiting for this seat to arrive… ready to find out whether I made a terrible mistake or if I had worked myself up for no reason. For a twenty plus year old seat it was in pretty good shape, it had a little bit of dirt and discoloration that was taken care of and then it was time to sit in it, will it fit…?

One of many dimensions to check before forking over the money for this seat.

It is definitely made with one intention, and that is to be a purpose built race seat. I am small framed at around 150 pounds and this thing holds me tight like a small child with their favorite toy in their hands. When I was running in Auto-x I added a four point harness to my car to help stabilize my body and this seat literally reminds of the feeling of being harnessed in… without a harness. . I can barely wiggle or shift around once I am planted in the seat.

Pictures and colors can be deceptive. The Black Recaro looks much more narrow but the measurements don’t lie. The angles on the bolstering aren’t as severe, which you might be able to see.

I would suppose on a long drive having the bolsters pushing into you constantly would/could be quite uncomfortable, but I have yet to test that out. I am currently keeping my old Recaro sport for this very reason, if it becomes too much to bear on long road trips, I will just swap it out for the trip. I don’t have any plans to make a trip like this in my current future, but I also like to keep a pretty open schedule.

I also recently added a flat bottom steering wheel and while I thought for awhile it was a mistake, this seat has made me understand why flat bottom steering wheels exist. The bolsters are so high that I have to slide in under my steering wheel, now I could tilt the wheel up every time I get out and tilt it back down every time I get back in, but who really wants to do that?

While on the topic of the high bolsters I would like to point out this seat isn’t a Bride low max Gias with rails that are a half mm off the floor. It sits at the stock seat height, my previous Recaros were mounted on Wedge brackets that allows me to adjust their height and opted for about two inches lower than a stock seat. While I enjoyed the lowness of the outgoing Recaro I have found the ride height is really pleasant. I feel quite comfortable in this position with great visibility and the deep bolsters on both the seat bottom and help support your arms and legs, if you are muscles are tensed constantly you will quickly become fatigued at the track and start making simple mistakes.

One thing I immediately noticed was how supported my thigh is by the bolster during clutch engagements, my Exedy stage 1 clutch isn’t super stiff but it takes a touch more effort to press. The large side bolster keeps my hips from shifting to the side and really helps support my lower back, just another interesting part of this seat.

The biggest downsides to this seat in my mind is the cost and it is not exactly easy to get in and out of. Where I used to just slide right in over my much smaller softer Recaro sport bolsters, I now have to make a conscience effort to step in the car with one leg over the bolster and then pivot over the bolster but under the wheel. As well as the entry price and due to the rarity of this seat. Recaro did make a non-Subaru versions known as the SPx-CL100, but just like this seat those aren’t exactly easy to find and are just as coveted.

You can’t really have a relaxed driving experience with this seat… but that is ok by me.

Now is this seat worth the cost? Everyone and everything has a price, it is up to you to determine what it is worth to you. Given my current overhaul on the car to turn it into a S203 tribute model, I was ok paying a certain price and I was just lucky enough to do just that. I also don’t feel like these are going to get much cheaper in the near future, so if you are looking it might be time to make a choice.