I was thinking of replacing the stock rx8 seats with highly bolstered racing seats, but had a few questions before I pursued it any further.

1. Are there any aftermarket seats that retain or have their own side seat mounted airbags.

2. If i currently have power seats, would that complicate the install?

3. What seat color would look good with the chapparell (Brown) leather surroundings.

Feel free to post pics of some nice seat installs as well.

 

bump

 

bump-- I really need to know this, lol

 

ill give you a half answer to 3.

When i had it, i was looking for seats for my 97 svt cobra. it had a beige and black interior. I specifically wanted the seats from the cobra R. I couldnt find any seats that matched or even looked good in the interior. they all looked out of place. So, i took the cobra r seats to a local shop and had them put a two tone fabric pattern in the seat for about 600 CDN. it looked schweet after.

it wasnt a power seat so i cant answer 2.

and i dont know about 1, but if they did have them, i would assume they would be hella expensive.

 

i dont know of aftermarket ones. But you can try buying one from different car companies. I know audi makes them. Buy their seats? Dunno what to say. But why would you really need them? We have side air bags.

 

Arent our current side-airbags seat mounted? Or are they door mounted?

 

ours are door mounted, i believe. it says SRS airbag or something on the side top of your door area.

 

Those are the side-curtain airbags, but I believe that there are also airbags in the seat, which are strictly side impact airbags. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Yes....airbags in the seats.

8 total.

-"A" Pillar x2
-Steering wheel
-Passenger side dash
-Drivers seat (left shoulder area)
-Passenger seat (right shoulder area)
-"C" pillar x2

 

There are no aftermarket seats that contain airbags, all that safety stuff is very highly regulated and tested, its costs the auto manufacturers millions to get that stuff certified, so Recaro is going to have the budget to do that.

any aftermarket seat will not be compatible

 

wow didnt know that!

 

I for one have no heard of or seen any aftermarket seats with airbags.
Also, unless you get Mazda to make you a custom bolstered power seat, you're not going to find an aftermarket power seat that will be plug n play.
Installing a non-power seat is not too different than installing a power seat - you just don't have to hook up a couple of electrical connectors.

 

digging this up again

will disconecting the seat air-bag throw up a warning light? and would the other air-bags still function?

 

visual..

 

YES, you will get the Air Bag warming light that does not go away till you put the OEM seat back. Found that out during my seat replacement experiment.
Would have to have gotten into an accident to test that but one would think the system gives a “fire” command to all the bags when needed so the ones not removed will still work.

 

Should hope they all still fire considering Mazdaspeed offers racing seats for the 8.

 

that might be for the jap spec ones without airbags. there is a version over there without the side curtians so I guess they have a version without the seat bags