Sporty statement: Bucket seats from RECARO in the new Audi R8

Few brands so clearly stand for the long-standing nexus between motorsports expertise and road-suited sportiness like RECARO – the first sport seat was presented 50 years ago at the IAA. Audi is also celebrating an anniversary in 2015: 35 years ago the Audi Quattro, at the time the first Audi sports car with permanent all-wheel drive, went into production. The experience of both traditional companies comes together in the collaboration on the bucket seats of the new Audi R8, which was presented for the first time at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The brand from Ingolstadt is again relying on RECARO Automotive Seating: Like its predecessor in the first R8 generation, the new bucket seat was developed in cooperation between quattro GmbH and the RECARO seat specialists, in whose Swabian parent plant the seats are also largely handcrafted. From there they go to the “just-in-time” production line of the R8, just 90 kilometers away in Heilbronn. The long-time motorsport engagement of RECARO can be seen in the seat at first glance: The design and technology of the bucket seat manufactured with materials including carbon fibre are closely based on pure-bred racing models. With its distinctive design, the seat fits perfectly into the interior of the new V10 sports car, and the side bolsters provide maximum lateral support and the best possible integration of the driver in the car. Another plus: The backrest designed according to the credo of a racing bucket seat is foldable. “We are very pleased that we can now deliver the second generation of the particularly sporty Audi seats,” explains Elmar Deegener, Vice President and General Manager of RECARO Automotive Seating. “The new bucket seats are unsurpassed in terms of sporty design and excellent ergonomics and therefore fit perfectly into the vehicle from Audi Sport.” At the International Motor Show IAA in Frankfurt, the new seat can be seen at RECARO in hall 5.1, stand B24 (Johnson Controls).