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Porsche to offer special 3D-printed bodyform full bucket seats

A select group of Porsche drivers has been thoroughly testing new 3D-printed bodyform full bucket seats at various recent motorsports events in Germany, including the Manthey-Racing Nordschleife Trackdays 20/21 set up exclusively for owners of Porsche road cars. The pilot phase has generated plenty of valuable customer feedback for Porsche engineers.

"With the 3D-printed bodyform full-bucket seat, we're once again giving series-production customers the opportunity to experience technology carried over from motorsports," said Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche.

Following some final adjustments, the customized seat is now available as part of the new Performance Parts offering from Porsche Tequipment. The seat will be available for Boxster, Cayman, and 911 models.

From February 2022 on, it can also be ordered from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur as a standard feature and will be integrated into the Porsche Car Configurator. In addition to its unique look, the new central section of the seat is its main innovation: parts of the cushion and backrest surfaces are produced using a 3D printer and are available in three different rigidity grades, meaning the seat can be customized to suit the customer's specific needs.

"Seats adapted to individual drivers have been available for a long time in professional motorsport," said Porsche test driver Lars Kern. "Now, Porsche also offers a road-approved customization with different rigidity grades as standard."

"During the initial test drives, I was impressed by the ergonomics -- the slightly lower seat position and improved thigh support are similar to what you get from a seat in a racing car," added Kern. The passive ventilation is impressive too."

In addition to an ergonomic fit similar to that found in motorsports, this seat also delivers a unique design, lower weight (8% lighter when compared to Porsche's conventional full bucket seats), improved comfort, and passive climate control.

The 3D-printed seat is based on Porsche's lightweight full bucket seat and features a sandwich construction: a base support made from expanded polypropylene (EPP) is bonded to a breathable comfort layer consisting of a mixture of polyurethane-based materials made using a 3D printer. The components are clipped together. This innovative joining technology means that the seat generates no emissions associated with adhesives.

The outer skin of the seat is made of Race-Tex. This non-slip material offers plenty of support in the seat, and the unique perforated surface enables improved passive ventilation.

Window panels show exposed, full-color sections of the 3D-printed lattice structure and give the full bucket seat a unique design. Initially, customers can choose between Black, Guards Red, and Racing Yellow for extra design elements. Arctic Grey, Ultramarine, and Shark Blue will be added soon to the color range. Customers will be able to choose between three firmness levels (hard, medium, soft) for the comfort layer.

Porsche is also planning to offer 3D-printed bodyform full bucket seats adapted to the individual body contours of each customer.

The 3D-printed bodyform full bucket seat is available for all Porsche models that are offered with the conventional full bucket seat (order number Q1K or P11). The seat can also be retrofitted in vehicles that have already been delivered, and some models can even have the full bucket seat fitted on the passenger side. For now, only the driver's seat will be offered to customers in the United States. The assembly process takes just a few minutes at a Porsche Center. A single seat is about a $3,000 upgrade.

Source: Porsche

Published October 2021

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