Recaro Seats

[Crowley]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

OK -- didn't read thru this thread after the note above..... (I'll eventually get to it....)

Let me ask you this:


What price would you be willing to pay for a Recaro Seat option?


-- keep in mind that we can't just pull out a Camaro seat and bolt a Recaro in there............



Guess why.


No peeking......
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(....I SAID no peeking!....)

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...the Camaro Seats have internal airbags. Thus, any changes to the seat would mean that we need to develop an airbag for in the Recaro (or other racing-type seat) and perform crashworthy tests (in order to meet federal safety standards)......


So -- again - what price would you (the collective group who would like to see a Recaro seat option) be willing to pay??


(....and - I'm just thinking that one shouldn't use the word 'pathetic' without thinking about it........)

It would depend .. if they were manual controls and not heated or cooled (thinking extra weight) ... It wouldn't be unreasonable to match the option price they are for the GT500 .. so around 1500 or so I think is what their option is.

Obviously if they did have more functions, then I would expect an associated cost with that ..

Again, I think it would be a good OPTION for ANY Camaro owner (not just the ZL1 crowd).

Crowley

[69 Rebel]

I would check that option box for $1500

[fbodfather]

Originally Posted by ParisTNDude

It seems GM hasn't paid reasonable attention to seats in it's cars with the exception of Cadilac. The Corvette garners heaps of criticism over it's poorly designed seats and the Camaro ZL1 may get some of that too. I don't understand why GM doesn't farm out the production of their seats to a competent source and put an end to the issues.

Hmmm......seems that people figured out the airbag issue.

GM does not build their seats - and as far as i know, no other volume manufacturer builds their seats.

Remember - the 'bucket seats' we put in our cars must fit a wide variety of wide and narrow 'buckets' -- -- so while a seat may feel good to me, it may not feel good to others - so we develop seats that fit a 'wide' (no pun intended) variety of "buckets"..............

[BowtieBelle]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

Hmmm......seems that people figured out the airbag issue.

GM does not build their seats - and as far as i know, no other volume manufacturer builds their seats.

Remember - the 'bucket seats' we put in our cars must fit a wide variety of wide and narrow 'buckets' -- -- so while a seat may feel good to me, it may not feel good to others - so we develop seats that fit a 'wide' (no pun intended) variety of "buckets"..............

[kgilley09]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

OK -- didn't read thru this thread after the note above..... (I'll eventually get to it....)

Let me ask you this:


What price would you be willing to pay for a Recaro Seat option?


-- keep in mind that we can't just pull out a Camaro seat and bolt a Recaro in there............



Guess why.


No peeking......
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(....I SAID no peeking!....)

..
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.your answer would be:.............................

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.
.
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.
.
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..
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..


...the Camaro Seats have internal airbags. Thus, any changes to the seat would mean that we need to develop an airbag for in the Recaro (or other racing-type seat) and perform crashworthy tests (in order to meet federal safety standards)......


So -- again - what price would you (the collective group who would like to see a Recaro seat option) be willing to pay??


(....and - I'm just thinking that one shouldn't use the word 'pathetic' without thinking about it........)

Scott, I agree with your point entirely and fully understand that it would add cost to the car, but that's why we want it as an option. We're not requesting that you jack up the price of the car for those who care nothing about the seats but having the option to add them would be really nice. As far as cost goes, I honestly have no idea how much it would cost GM to engineer the necessary equipment to put them in place, but if Caddy can do it for a couple grand extra, I know some of us would be willing to pay that to have them in our ZL1's. Again, I do understand the logistics of why it would be a problem and what would have to go into it, but I think you'd find that enough of us would be willing to opt for them that it would be worth the time/money to GM. Just something to consider.

[fbodfather]

Originally Posted by OldJedi

Do you know what the supplier issue is with the CTS Recaro Seats?

I suspect I know.......

One of the hardest things one must do when planning an automobile is to 'forecast' option load.

The 'forecast' allows the supplier to 'tool' for the option.

(and by the way -- must of the parts and components you see in a new car or truck these days are provided by suppliers - most manufacturers no longer build all of their parts -- )

Good example:

Early on, many felt that the RS option would penetrate at approx. 30 percent based on pricing and looking at historic option load on Camaro/Firebird/Mustang/Corvette.


I was one who said 'no way - it's going to be around 45%' --

well...........the RS penetrated way higher in the 2010 model year. That caused problems in that the supplier had difficulty in keeping up to demand.....meaning that some Camaro enthusiasts waited longer for their new Camaro simply because the tooling wasn't adequate.

(...and one can't just bop on down to the Home Depot and buy new tooling!)


Now - you say: "WELL! MAKE MORE TOOLS!" - that's easier said than done - long lead times (we don't make the tools) - and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!


so - I suspect that the Recaro 'take' rate is higher than forecast.

I DO happen to know a few people who bought Recaros in V-series and don't like them.

Remember - it cuts both ways.


We continue discussion about the seats -

I suspect that many who 'track' their cars will simply buy on the aftermarket for much less $$$$ - but I caution them that this compromises safety - and I urge them to put the production seat back in the car prior to getting on a public road.

[thespymaster]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

Hmmm......seems that people figured out the airbag issue.

GM does not build their seats - and as far as i know, no other volume manufacturer builds their seats.

Remember - the 'bucket seats' we put in our cars must fit a wide variety of wide and narrow 'buckets' -- -- so while a seat may feel good to me, it may not feel good to others - so we develop seats that fit a 'wide' (no pun intended) variety of "buckets"..............

[DangerZL1]

The Recaros in the CTS-V are a lot nicer than those in the GT500 and have numerous power adjustments compared to more manual adjustments in the GT500. Its not an apples to apples comparison just because the name Recaro is stamped on the seat. The Recaros in the GT500 have more support than the base seats, but aren't any firmer than the stock ones. They're almost like covers on slightly more agressive upper frame.

[fbodfather]

Most on the team love the idea.

The problem is this:

(....and I ask someone who has a few minutes to count up the number of posters thusfar on this thread...)


Some think we're foolish to offer heated seats.

Others can't understand why we don't have cooled seats.

And then a couple of people don't understand the power seats?

(...anyone remember the uproar of not offering a power passenger seat????)


Some say "I'll pay $1500 for the recaro seats!"

(.....yes, and I'd LOVE a date with Ivanka Trump.............. to both I say: wwwaintgonnahappen.com )

Another wants yellow stitching rather than red.............

OH YES! And then there are those who slam us about the 'weight' of the car -- and THEN in the next breath tell me that they want:

>hideaway headlights
>cooled seats
>memory seating
>(insert option here that adds more weight......)

(......shoot me now...........)



...and then there's the "Hardy Perennial" complaint that we use 'cheap leather' on our seats. (which is completely untrue...)

Putting thicker bolsters on the car will increase the wear on leather/vinyl/cloth........


.............see where I'm going with this?


We have to make some hard decisions.....and invariably they're never easy.

Don't give up hope - but on the other hand, just because we don't offer what one of you personally wants does not mean we're 'pathetic' or some other such word that implies we're clueless.

That's simply not true - and I think if you consider what I'm saying here, you'll understand more on why things happen -



Another good example: if you start a poll about key-start versus push-button start, you'll get all sorts of opinions - and then someone will say "well! offer it as an option!"
.......and that's when a Camaro priced in the mid-twenties inches up and up and up..................................




MEMO TO DRAGONEYE: I want the above to be inscribed on my Tombstone......

[fbodfather]

-Kay - I'm off today - "Bro Zeke" was freshly "Zaino'd" yesterday - I think I shall take "Miss Ellen" for a cruise in Bro Zeke and we shall terrorize Mustangs and Challengers in Western Pennsylvania..............


Keep the comments coming - but think before you make declarations, please....

[HDRDTD]

I would also gladly check the Recaro Seats option box for $1500.

[fbodfather]

Originally Posted by HDRDTD

I would also gladly check the Recaro Seats option box for $1500.

Yup!


and I want an Ipad for $29.95!!!!




(sorry - couldn't resist.....)

J/K........

[HDRDTD]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

Yup!


and I want an Ipad for $29.95!!!!




(sorry - couldn't resist.....)

J/K........

Any idea (just a ballpark figure) what a Recaro option MIGHT be?
You laugh at $1500, would we be talking $2000? $2500?
I might still be interested...

Above $3000 and I might say....... nevermind....
But you never know..... Probably would depend on just how fancy the seats are.

Don't need no cooling
Don't need no heating
Doesn't even need have to have power.

[BowtieBelle]

Originally Posted by HDRDTD

Don't need no cooling
Don't need no heating
Doesn't even need have to have power.

I highly doubt the rest of the Camaro owners who want Recaro seats would agree with this.



They'd at least need to be power.