A bucket in my car? No way!

Right from the start, the question isn’t “if” you should get bucket seats for your BMW. Obviously, you should, because to the very least, they look cool. However, there’s more than just looks to these concave sports or racing seats. Let’s have a look at what are the benefits of bucket seats for which both you and your BMW will thank each other. You do talk to your BMW, right?!

I will be the first one to admit: the name could have used some more inspiration. However, when you think about it, a proper racing seat does pretty much feel like you have your bum in a bucket – you can’t easily shift your position. And, in the end, this is one of the main criteria for choosing bucket seats for your BMW.

So, apart from giving out that awesome look that your car buddies will dig, bucket seats are designed to keep you steady when you race around the track. Taking corners at high speeds generate higher lateral g-forces and cause your body to move around. When you are properly tucked in a bucket seat, bolted to your BMW, your body stays still, and you don’t need to waste time adjusting your position. This lets you focus on the track and shave off those gnarly seconds you’ve been bragging about all this time in the parking lot. Time to put your money where your mouth is, or rather, your bum.

Original BMW seats are fat!

BMW is a luxury-oriented brand. Yeah, your seat might have adjustable height, incline and lumbar positioning, but all this comes with a cost. It’s heavy and weight doesn’t go well with car performance. Do you want to go fast, or would you rather stay behind the pack and sink your behinds in the soft, bulky seat of your car? Might as well sink your pride too, while you’re at it. 

Here’s a quick comparison. An average driver seat weighs roughly 55lbs, especially if it has got a lot of adjustments integrated into the frame. By comparison, an OMP TRS-X racing seat comes at 30kg. That’s 24lbs for just one seat. 

If you’re looking to shave even more weight, going for a bucket seat made out of carbon could be the answer. A high-quality Sparco ADV Elite carbon bucket seat weighs just a whim over 22lbs – but it draws heavily on the wallet, as it retails for almost $7,500. So, are you certain you can’t just get those door panels off, and maybe that badly tuned subwoofer from the trunk instead?

They will keep you safe

There is something more to bucket seats, other than looking good, being snuggly and keeping the weight down. They will keep you safe. Let’s face it, bad things happen and when they do, you will be wishing you were better prepared.

Unlike standard seats, bucket seats generally have holes behind the neck and on the sides to accommodate multi-point seatbelts. Many racing events and even open track days will require you to mount and use multi-point seatbelts. Having proper clearances in the seat for such belts will aid in case of a crash, while keeping you fixated even better when driving. 

So more advanced seats will also be HANS-compatible, but if you’re good enough to require a HANS device, then you and your BMW might be beyond the main target group of this post.

Finally, most bucket seats at the higher end of the price range will feature fire resistant or even self-extinguishing materials in the composition. This way, you have an extra barrier against a fire starting in your car.

Types of bucket seats you can fit in your BMW

The most common type of bucket seats you’ll find is the individual seat. It comes with an integrated headrest or separated, and can be bolted instead of your regular seat, either directly or using side adapters.

45/45 bucket seats are designed for two people and are more targeted towards offering a degree of comfort rather than focusing solely or enhancing driver performance. 

Asymmetric bucket seats, split 40/60 or 60/40 aim at providing more space for the driver or the front passenger, respectively. Usually, the version preferred by most drivers is the one offering less space to the passenger, allowing the driver to sit more comfortably and have better control on the car.

Conclusion

Bucket seats are awesome! They would make a great addition to your BMW, allowing your car to look cool and providing you with that extra support when attacking corners and accelerating out of a bend. Depending on how much are you willing to spend, you can considerably lower the weight of your car, improve occupant safety and improve track times.