Hello everyone,
I recently installed Recaro Podium seats (both driver and passenger) in my ‘23 R35. I wanted to document some learnings here if anyone else wanted to run this setup in the future. A lot of what I’ll cover is common across all aftermarket seats, but there are some ‘Podium-specific’ tips as well, which should prevent you from making the same mistakes I made. This isn’t meant to be a step-by-step guide… more of a summary specific to the Podiums.
If you’re instead looking for a seat install guide I’d recommend you take a look at these posts:
Parts I used:
*Most links are just examples and not where I ordered my parts from… I ordered most parts from a local shop
*Before you do any of this make sure to disconnect your battery or you’ll have warning lights on your dash
-Learnings-
General Seat Info:
Podium seat shells are all the same size and shape (sizing refers to the thickness of the pads that come pre-installed).
There is ‘technically’ a driver/passenger seat but the only difference is the location of the certification stickers and the location of the Recaro label on the shoulder pads. In my case, the shop I ordered from was able to get the seats in quicker by ordering 2 driver shells, 1 passenger pad set, and 1 driver pad set. I might relocate the stickers later if I care that much…
![Image]()
Sliders:
If you want to run sliders I highly recommend you only do so on the driver's side as the height will not match on the passenger side. This appears to be a problem with most if not all, aftermarket seat setups in R35s.
With this setup; the passenger side with the Sparco seat base and side mounts at their lowest position is almost the same height as the driver side with Sparco seat base, Recaro slider, and side mounts at their lowest position.
If you were to run a slider on the passenger side it would be ~1 inch taller than the driver side (I’m 6’3” and my head was almost touching the ceiling when I initially mounted a slider on the passenger side… This is why I recommend running the passenger seat as static).
Side Mounts:
Podium side mounts are available from Recaro in either FIA or ABE certification which will change their design slightly. You could probably run a non-podium specific side mount but I only tested with the two I mentioned from Recaro.
This is where I made another mistake. I had initially ordered the ABE version of the side mounts but soon realized they would not work without some modifications. The ABE version has a ‘lip’ at the bottom of the bracket which was interfering with my slider/seat base. I could have shaved the lip off but I decided it was easier to order the FIA side mounts instead. I guess if any of you really want some ABE side mounts hit me up...
![Image]()
![Image]()
Additionally, the FIA mounts have more clearance for bolts that go into your slider/seat base than the ABE version.
Seat Bases:
As mentioned, seat bases can be found from Sparco or Planted Technologies (there are likely others). I went with Sparco seat bases which worked fine aside from the passenger side not allowing enough room to comfortably run a slider. From what I researched this would be a problem from Planted Technologies as well and is not unique to Sparco. However, you might be able to ask Planted to make you a custom seat base that compensates for the extra height of the passenger slider… I might go this route at a later date.
On the driver's side, all the holes lined up perfectly with my sliders and had no issues. Now for the passenger side, I had to drill mounting holes as I chose not to run a slider and needed the seat quite far back to match my driver seating position. I wish I could tell you a step-by-step guide on where/how to drill but I just measured a lot and spot-checked with my driver’s seating position (I wanted it to match as close as possible).
Seatbelt & Buckles:
You can reuse the seatbelt buckle from your OEM seats by removing them and plugging them back into the harness. You’ll need to unclip or cut the zip ties that are holding the wire to the OEM seat.
However, when you mount the buckle to the seat base you might find it is in an awkward spot and forces you to latch the buckle over the seat rather than into the small opening. It's my understanding that the seatbelt should always go through the opening on the seat to ensure proper safety standards. To achieve this you’ll unscrew the seatbelt from the base of the B-pillar and thread it through the seat, then you can bend the OEM buckles to ‘curve’ into the seat opening so they can be latched properly. None of this would be a concern if you plan on running a harness instead of the factory seatbelt.
![Image]()
![Image]()
Airbags & Vehicle Warnings:
A few things will be needed to make sure you don’t have any lights/warnings on dash.
First, you’ll need 2 resistors/U-turn harnesses (driver & passenger) to bypass the airbag light. This will ensure your dash remains clear
(Optional… technically) Next, you’ll want an OCS Sensor EMULATOR / Bypass like the one I got from Airbag 360 in order to make sure your passenger airbags deploy in the event of an accident. Without this, the car will never know it has a passenger since the ‘bladder’ is no longer in the seat (see this guide for a detailed explanation). Essentially, the module I installed tricks the car into thinking a passenger is there 100% of the time. FYI - The website says 2007-2016 but it worked like a charm on my 2023.
(Optional) Finally, I added a ‘null buckle insert’ to make the seatbelt light go away from my dash. The light didn’t cause any ringing as it was for the passenger side but I wanted it gone if I didn’t have a passenger in the car. This was my solution… take it or leave it.
Final Product:
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
Only other things I did were ceramic coat the shells and treat the pads so they would be hydrophobic. Hope this helps someone avoid some of the mistakes I made and feel free to reach out with any questions!
I recently installed Recaro Podium seats (both driver and passenger) in my ‘23 R35. I wanted to document some learnings here if anyone else wanted to run this setup in the future. A lot of what I’ll cover is common across all aftermarket seats, but there are some ‘Podium-specific’ tips as well, which should prevent you from making the same mistakes I made. This isn’t meant to be a step-by-step guide… more of a summary specific to the Podiums.
If you’re instead looking for a seat install guide I’d recommend you take a look at these posts:
- https://www.gtrlife.com/threads/diy-swapping-your-seats-for-fun-and-profit-maybe.81390/
- https://www.gtrlife.com/threads/aft...ket-seats-flashing-airbag-light-heres-a-solution-warning-its-a-long-post.72507/
Parts I used:
- 2 x Recaro Podium Seats
- 1 x Sparco Seat Base (Driver)
- 1 x Sparco Seat Base (Passenger)
- Link (Also available from Planted Technology if you prefer)
- 1 x Recaro Slider
- 2 x Recaro Side Mounts (Available in either FIA or ABE certification - I recommend FIA… See explanation below)
- 2 x Resistors/U-Turn Harness (Male version)
- 1 x Airbag 360 OCS Sensor EMULATOR / Bypass (Optional)
- 1 x Null Buckle Insert (Optional)
*Most links are just examples and not where I ordered my parts from… I ordered most parts from a local shop
*Before you do any of this make sure to disconnect your battery or you’ll have warning lights on your dash
-Learnings-
General Seat Info:
Podium seat shells are all the same size and shape (sizing refers to the thickness of the pads that come pre-installed).
There is ‘technically’ a driver/passenger seat but the only difference is the location of the certification stickers and the location of the Recaro label on the shoulder pads. In my case, the shop I ordered from was able to get the seats in quicker by ordering 2 driver shells, 1 passenger pad set, and 1 driver pad set. I might relocate the stickers later if I care that much…
Sliders:
If you want to run sliders I highly recommend you only do so on the driver's side as the height will not match on the passenger side. This appears to be a problem with most if not all, aftermarket seat setups in R35s.
With this setup; the passenger side with the Sparco seat base and side mounts at their lowest position is almost the same height as the driver side with Sparco seat base, Recaro slider, and side mounts at their lowest position.
If you were to run a slider on the passenger side it would be ~1 inch taller than the driver side (I’m 6’3” and my head was almost touching the ceiling when I initially mounted a slider on the passenger side… This is why I recommend running the passenger seat as static).
Side Mounts:
Podium side mounts are available from Recaro in either FIA or ABE certification which will change their design slightly. You could probably run a non-podium specific side mount but I only tested with the two I mentioned from Recaro.
This is where I made another mistake. I had initially ordered the ABE version of the side mounts but soon realized they would not work without some modifications. The ABE version has a ‘lip’ at the bottom of the bracket which was interfering with my slider/seat base. I could have shaved the lip off but I decided it was easier to order the FIA side mounts instead. I guess if any of you really want some ABE side mounts hit me up...
Additionally, the FIA mounts have more clearance for bolts that go into your slider/seat base than the ABE version.
Seat Bases:
As mentioned, seat bases can be found from Sparco or Planted Technologies (there are likely others). I went with Sparco seat bases which worked fine aside from the passenger side not allowing enough room to comfortably run a slider. From what I researched this would be a problem from Planted Technologies as well and is not unique to Sparco. However, you might be able to ask Planted to make you a custom seat base that compensates for the extra height of the passenger slider… I might go this route at a later date.
On the driver's side, all the holes lined up perfectly with my sliders and had no issues. Now for the passenger side, I had to drill mounting holes as I chose not to run a slider and needed the seat quite far back to match my driver seating position. I wish I could tell you a step-by-step guide on where/how to drill but I just measured a lot and spot-checked with my driver’s seating position (I wanted it to match as close as possible).
Seatbelt & Buckles:
You can reuse the seatbelt buckle from your OEM seats by removing them and plugging them back into the harness. You’ll need to unclip or cut the zip ties that are holding the wire to the OEM seat.
However, when you mount the buckle to the seat base you might find it is in an awkward spot and forces you to latch the buckle over the seat rather than into the small opening. It's my understanding that the seatbelt should always go through the opening on the seat to ensure proper safety standards. To achieve this you’ll unscrew the seatbelt from the base of the B-pillar and thread it through the seat, then you can bend the OEM buckles to ‘curve’ into the seat opening so they can be latched properly. None of this would be a concern if you plan on running a harness instead of the factory seatbelt.
Airbags & Vehicle Warnings:
A few things will be needed to make sure you don’t have any lights/warnings on dash.
First, you’ll need 2 resistors/U-turn harnesses (driver & passenger) to bypass the airbag light. This will ensure your dash remains clear
(Optional… technically) Next, you’ll want an OCS Sensor EMULATOR / Bypass like the one I got from Airbag 360 in order to make sure your passenger airbags deploy in the event of an accident. Without this, the car will never know it has a passenger since the ‘bladder’ is no longer in the seat (see this guide for a detailed explanation). Essentially, the module I installed tricks the car into thinking a passenger is there 100% of the time. FYI - The website says 2007-2016 but it worked like a charm on my 2023.
(Optional) Finally, I added a ‘null buckle insert’ to make the seatbelt light go away from my dash. The light didn’t cause any ringing as it was for the passenger side but I wanted it gone if I didn’t have a passenger in the car. This was my solution… take it or leave it.
Final Product:
Only other things I did were ceramic coat the shells and treat the pads so they would be hydrophobic. Hope this helps someone avoid some of the mistakes I made and feel free to reach out with any questions!
