Build journal: special series

BMW M rarely made a great driver's seat, until this.

In 2008, BMW partenered with Recaro to make one of their best seat ever: the reclinable, heated and airbag'ed BMW Performance seat for the E8x and E9x chassis.

A decade later, they discontinued it.

In this Special Series, I document my entire experience in converting a standard Recaro Sportster CS into a custom BMW Performance seat.

Cheers,
- Matt / @m3_epoustouflant

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Custom BMW Performance style CS

EuroConnex Exclusive

Genuine BNIB Recaro CS seats

Re-created in Quebec

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Specifications (to be completed):

Crafted in Quebec, Canada
1:1 replica of the original BMW Performance seats (SKU: 52 10 0 445 043)
Based off brand new, current MY Recaro Sporster CS Eurospec seats imported from Germany
Plug and play:

Genuine BMW heating elements
Recaro's Eurospec airbags
Integration into OEM harness

Materials:

Leather:

Top grain Nappa leather imported from Germany and Italy.
Available in any BMW original color

Genuine Alcantara:

Authentic material imported from Italy
Available in original, Genuine BMW Performance 9040 black and M Performance 9002 Alcantara.
Custom colors and perforated variants are available.

BMW 1:1 replica fabrics

The classic BMW M fabrics are all available and imported from Germany
Including the E46 M3 / E39 M5 M-Texture

Threads:

Serabond and Serafil threads imported from Germany
Any colors.

Undersides:

A combination of wool fleece, and foams.

Customization options include:

Color matched or custom painted rear covers
Pre-preg carbon rear covers in high gloss, or satin clear coat.
Color matched or custom painted seat belt guides
BMW Performance or RECARO embroidery on headrest
Additional foam inserts in lower back and bolster areas.

Mounting solutions:

Genuine BMW refurbished manual sliders with Original Recaro mounts.
Electrically powered, refurbished Genuine BMW sliders with aftermarket mounts and Genuine BMW switch gear and custom harness.

Material Selection.

This entry is a detailed chat about leathers, fabrics, suedes, threads and undersides. I provide rationale for our material selection for the Recaro CS and Pole Position custom seat program

Read