MoonieGT

I'm only 5'11" and I'm concerned about headroom in the 8. I test drove one this evening and felt like I needed to angle the seat back a little bit to ensure head room. I think I can deal with the head room for daily driving, but I'm wanting to go to the track in whatever my next car is. So I'm looking ahead to when I'll be wearing a helmet for track days and what not and I'm concerned.

So, are there any seat mods out there that will give me another inch of room? Or, is there is a list of racing seats that sit a little bit lower to give some more room?

I'm really in to the 8 right now and I'd hate to have to pass it up...

xsnipersgox

did u try the base or GT, base gives u a bit more headroom.

MoonieGT

I tried the GT. Is the sunroof standard in the GT?

I really hope this doesn't stop me from getting an 8... it seems like such a great car.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

i am 5'11" with a very long torso. i am fine in the rx8 with out a sunroof during track days.. with sunroof it is a bit tight.

beers

Astral

I'm 5'11" and fit great w/ the helmet in my no-sunroof car, with the back of the seat up at quite a good angle. I think I'd have trouble fitting into the sunroof cars w/ the helmet on, but I haven't tried it.

The comparison is that I lose about 2 fingers worth of headroom between my no-sunroof car and a sunroof car.

If you're planning on tracking or autocrossing, not having the sunroof will reduce the total weight of the car and it's weight in the worst spot, on top of the car. My car weighs 2950 with about a half tank of gas and 30-40lbs of car audio equipment (otherwise, it's base cloth + sport option that has DSC/fogs/xenons)..

altiain

iTrader: (3)

Another 5'11" guy with a long torso here (strange trend, eh?). I have an '04 Sport without a sunroof, and I fit fine with a helmet. I cannot fit comfortably in an RX-8 with a sunroof with my helmet on.

Long story short - no sunroof, no worries.

robrecht

I'm 6'2", which is why I did not get a GT, but no problems with helmet in my Sport/performance model. In Canada you can get a GT without a sunroof but not in the US. But now for 2009, the best stock track model is the R3 and it does not come with a sunroof.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

6'5 here WITH a GT! Seat is reclined quite a bit for daily driving. Track day would be impossible for me

MoonieGT

I sat in a touring with a sunroof today and had a little more headroom, but not much. Probably not enough to wear a helmet for the track.

The other issue is that my head seems so close to the window because it kind of curves in at the top.

I think I'm going to have to wait and see how I fit in an R3...

Red Devil

6'2" - sport package. I fit just fine with the helmet.

Senna

6'0" and have to lean the seat back with and without a helmet. I like my eyes looking not too much higher than the steering wheel-Formula car seating position sort of.
If you plan to be at the track a lot consider a race seat with low profile brackets. I also think a racing wheel with an adapter extender would be a huge help in terms of bringing the steering wheel toward the driver like my wife's Mazda6. I can get into perfect seating position in that car because of the telescoping steering wheel.

MoonieGT

Resurecting my thread as the search for an RX8 is back on. I just got rid of my Mustang and I'm now free of car payments! I'm in no hurry, but I'm keeping my eyes open for an '06-'08 sport model. Anyway, back on point...

Since I started this thread way back in 2008 I've bought a miata for track-day duty. Fantastic car for the track. In the miata community, a lot of track drivers perform a "foamectomy" of the stock seat. Simply put, you remove the seat cover, pull the foam cushion from the seat pan, and then go to town with a carving knife to remove some of the foam. Put it all back together and, if done correctly, you get a more comfortable seat and an extra inch of headroom. Has anyone attempted this with the RX8 seat?

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

I haven't had to, either for more head room or for comfort. I can fit comfortably in the car with a helmet on. I don't think I could if I had the sunroof. I also have spent 18 continuous hrs behind the wheel and the seat wasn't any problem at all.

Sixsix

I'm 6'6" and wearing a helmet in the car is out of the question, sucks too cause I want to auto-x. Daily driving is fine tho.

MagnusRacing

iTrader: (2)

A competent race shop should be able to install a custom seat with sliders in a VERY low position. I'm 5'11", tall in the torso, and have a sun roof. I barely fit with a helmet on with the stock seat. When I installed a Sparco EVO 3 seat we cut the floor so that it could be mounted on the aftermarket sliders direct to the floor. I now almost feel too low in the car and have at least four inches of room between the roof and my helmet. If I took off the seat slider I'd have another inch or two as well.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

+1 on the race seat solution.

Bride seats and their associated rail gains a nice amount of headroom. I'm 6'-0" and while I barely fit with a helmet on the stock seats (Sport package so no sunroof), the Bride arrangement gave me several inches of headroom and I like the seating position better. You feel more like you are in the car instead of on top of it. However Bride seats are quite narrow so you have to be sure you'll fit.

I used to have a Miata and did the foamectomy myself. It was a great mod but I've never heard of somebody trying that on the RX-8.

Easy_E1

iTrader: (2)

I'm 6'6". An RX8 without sunroof poses no drive-ability issues for me with a helmet. Now a sunroof RX8, my helmet hits the roof.
So get one with out sunroof and you'll be fine.

Agent XY

iTrader: (1)

Pump the seat down in the Sport model, makes a huge difference!!!!!

black PL 8

i'm 6'3" and never scraped my head in daily driving.
-my seat-back is pretty straight, not reclined.
-don't know about the helmet issue.
-i slide the seat pretty far back for knee-room
-try adjusting it with the pump lever

04Green

iTrader: (1)

You can lower the power seat. Not sure if enough for you. I used to brush my head against the roof, and with the lower seat, my helmet just barely touches.

Check out https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...wer+power+seat

People have been able to do this mod with the seat in the car according to the posts.

twistedwankel

iTrader: (6)

I'm 5'-11" with a 31" inseam with the manual cloth seat dropped down and the seat tilted back a little farther than I'd like I can just fit my helmet into the corner of the hole where the moon roof (shade open) is but it stays there. This is merely okay for autocross but totally unacceptible for any track. I would definately buy a lower/tighter + harness racing seat to do that. You couldn't pay me to take my 99 Miata (which we enjoyed) back now that I have an RX8!! Keep the Miata for the track if you have the room.

Without a helmet the RX fits me (or my 5-2" wife) perfectly with room to spare and the moon roof is quite enjoyable letting the FL heat out. More so than our convertible having to stop to put the top up or down or to keep the interior out of the sun when we park it.

You are probably wise to look only for the Sport.

EricMeyer

I'm now on car # 4 (all no sunroofs) and have installed honest 6pt legal cages in each of these. At 6'1" with a taller torso I find it much, much, much safer to cut out the trans tunnel to offset the seat away from where your upper left side of your helmet would contact the car/bar/roll bar padding. As you add grip you'll experience greater lat g's and your head can be camping out on one side of the seat head restraints. If you are tall and are thinking of going down an interior remove and a cage install I would think about this. The first two cars we built had helmet to bar padding contact when you place the seat in what I defined was comfortable and using very, very little seat padding (stock race seat padding was removed and a small pad was re-installed. Many really fast old school guys I know from the very early, early spec miata days ran the Kirkey aluminum seats and no butt pads. Pretty cramped legs for a long enduro but no head contact.

I offer this info because I've found that race seat knowledge is usually a surprise. Many, many, many fabricators of sedan cars for club racing will NOT use the stock seat mounts. The huge majority of cars I've seen built have custom mounts that have nothing to do with using the stock seat rails. Often this is a process that takes a fair amount of time and results in higher levels of driver comfort. Many people are shocked at what it costs to put a seat in. You can do it simple and use the stock mounts but your head/body/legs may be contacting/hitting/interferring with something. Or.....you can spend more and think about how important comfort is. The bottom line is the RX8 will place the left side of the top of your head close to the headliner or roll bar or roll bar padding. Other cars have similar or different issues. Cutting out the stock horizontal front seat mounting box gives you more options. Also, think of the seat placement in a global context---does your new seat align with the steering wheel? Does your steering wheel column need offset? Does the left side window net allow you to see your left side mirror? I find slowing down and investing time in a seating position is the hot ticket to comfort = lower lap times and increased safety.

PaPaBear

Hey Swoope! Are you going to attend the Rolex Homestead race?

PaPaBear

My little Boy, 6'3" 300 LBS. fits okay in the passenger seat with a more than slight angle of the seat.