Recaro Sport Seat Platform Concept Makes Its Market Debut At The 2015 North American International Auto Show

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Recaro Automotive Seating's Sport Seat Platform is making its North American market debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). This is the first time this new modular seat design and carbon and foam materials application is being shown in the market. Series production of the new seat concept is expected to begin in 2016.

The Recaro Sport Seat Platform will be on display in the Johnson Controls technology showroom (room 310 B) in Detroit's Cobo Center during Preview Week of the NAIAS, Jan. 12-14, 2015. The display will highlight its many benefits, including separating the load-bearing structural "core" of carbon fiber sandwich construction with integrated high-quality adjustment components from the outer seat shell and its back and front covers, trim and foam elements. This innovative approach makes it possible to have one standardized interior seat structure with completely individual exterior designs for OEM customers.

"The new Recaro Sport Seat Platform presents OEM customers with a solution that implements a completely new idea of using a novel combination of lightweight materials and proven technologies," said Christian Debus, vice president Recaro Automotive Seating, responsible for Recaro's worldwide passenger car business. "Like many of the truly award-winning innovations, our concept follows the approach that simplification is key to any art."

Segment Flexibility
The concept draws upon the Recaro brand value DNA of sportiness, ingenious design, ergonomics, lightweight and safety. Recaro is using the platform to appeal to manufacturers of vehicle segments ranging from purebred sports cars to sporty derivatives of high-volume production vehicles to sporty and dynamic premium-class vehicles.

The concept of separating the safety and design aspects, specifically on the backrest, is the primary innovation of the Recaro Sport Seat Platform. The unique backrest structure can be considered the innovative backbone of the new product generation.

Additionally, the Recaro Sport Seat Platform meets the strictest safety requirements and uses a combination of carbon and foam in a sandwich-like construction for the structure, which is responsible for the stability of seat in and out of crash situations.

Modular Design
The Recaro brand has a long heritage of bold designs. This is immediately apparent in this new product's innovative lightweight design that separately addresses the seat's load-bearing structure and design shell. Starting with a manually-adjusted basic version, these seats can be equipped with common features according to the OEM customer's specifications, allowing all additional functions to be available "off the shelf". Additionally, the new platform's visible design shell and upholstery selection can be developed with specific customer segments in mind.

The secret is in the backrest structure – a co-development with Johnson Controls' technology & advanced development group –, which is enclosed by a second lightweight slim design shell inside the seat. This unique design advantage enables the seat's exterior skin to vary in its surface structure, texture, color and contour accents. It also ensures the Recaro Sport Seat Platform remains light and compact to give vehicle interior designers more working room.

"Differentiation is the decisive criteria, especially in this huge market segment made up of highly competitive performance vehicles," explains Debus. "At the same time, the ability to stand out and differentiate yourself must be affordable for the individual vehicle manufacturer and it must be feasible within tight development timeframes. That's why Recaro focuses on a modular solution to remain as flexible as possible when to help exceed customer expectations."

Recaro Automotive Seating
Recaro Automotive Seating is a product group of Johnson Controls. At eight locations in Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Japan, Mexico and the USA we design, manufacture and market complete seats representative of our core competencies design, ergonomics, craftsmanship, robustness, lightweight construction and high-class workmanship under the brand name Recaro. Recaro Automotive Seating consists of two units: While Recaro Car Seating offers passenger car seats for OEMs and the aftermarket, Recaro Commercial Vehicle Seating focuses on commercial vehicle seats in the OEM and aftermarket segments.

SOURCE Recaro Automotive Seating