Porsche will soon 3D print your 911 or 718's seats
The latest technology allows customers to further customize their seats, thanks to 3D printing technology.
Who knew we'd be printing seat structures one day.
Porsche wants to bring a little more of a motorsport-inspired touch to customers' sports cars . On Tuesday, the German brand said it will roll out a new 3D-printing program that will allow customers to have their cars' seats partially 3D printed.
It's not just for cool points. Porsche said the technology will allow customers to select three different firmness levels (hard, medium or soft) and the construction reduces weight in the process. The seat, officially called the 3D-printed bodyform full-bucket seat, starts life as a standard lightweight bucket seat, but features unique construction.
This is the 3D-printed stuff.
The base support includes expanded polypropylene combined with a mixture of polyurethane-based materials fed through the 3D printer to create the material. Porsche's "Racetex" material covers the final product, which helps regulate temperatures and keep passengers cool. If you do want to show the seats off to friends, the 3D-printed seats include small windows that reveal the lattice design inside. It's really wild stuff, to be honest.
Meet your future seat structure.
Not only does the construction provide benefits, but Porsche said it takes this approach to customer vehicles directly from motorsport. There, drivers receive unique fittings for their seats, and adding just a little more customization is never off the table at Porsche. This is the brand that will let you outfit a 911 with your fingerprint as a graphic on the car's hood, after all.
Porsche plans to begin offering this service starting in May in prototype stages. To begin, it'll equip 40 911 and 718 models with the seats for use on race tracks. Following feedback, it'll continue to hone the process and likely begin offering the option to any 911 or 718 Boxster/Cayman customer in mid-2021.
