To be sure, spending money on a quality car seat is money well spent but YIKES! those seats are expensive.

 

I used this on my 996, 996TT and the carreraS.. I have no problems putting him in the back..Here's a demo so you can see, hope this helps. it's pretty snug and not going anywhere..

 

This is the whole quote from http://shop1.porsche.com/usa/car/911-997/95504480039/ re: the Porsche Junior child seat LATCH ($560!):

Group 1 + 2 seat for children from 20 - 55 lbs. / approx. 9 month to 7 years of age.

Porsche child seats can be fitted into position quickly and securely using the standard North American LATCH fastening system in conjunction with the Porsche Child Seat Fastener System which needs to be installed through your authorized Porsche dealer. Telescopic bars on the child seat lock into place between the backrest and the seat and hold it firmly to the passenger seat. Child seats may only be used in the Boxster, 911 or Cayman on the passenger seat in conjunction with the child seat fastener system. To avoid the risk of injury from a deploying airbag, never place a child age 12 or under in a front seating position without the dealer-installed airbag deactivation device. The outer rear seats in the Cayenne are fitted with the LATCH anchor system as standard. This system is specifically designed to attach the child seat directly to the seat. Telescopic rods on the LATCH child seats slide out and slot into anchor points between the backrest and seat, and hold the child seat securely against the backrest. Porsche LATCH child seats can alternatively be fitted using the standard three-point safety belts. When used in the Cayenne, use in rear seat only. (for USA only; not available for Canada)

Yes, it does seem a little ambiguous, but from an overview page at http://www.porsche.com/usa/accessori...eats/overview/ it clearly states that the Junior seat is ok in both the front and back. Clearly the child seats can only be used on the passenger seat with the child seat fastener system. However that doesn't rule out using them in the rear seats with the standard three-point safety belts - there is no LATCH system for the rear seats. I think it's kind of like a sign saying "Dogs must be carried on escalator" - it means that if you have a dog, it must be carried, but not that you can't ride the escalator without carrying a dog

Also, here's a pretty good thread: http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...ld+seat&page=3. There's a good picture (attached) showing that a Britax Roundabout will fit in the back of a 911 Cab - attached using the seat belts. That's even without removing the rear seat back, which apparently is three screws and gains 4" of legroom.

Finally, one more thread showing pictures of both the Porsche booster seat and the Junior seat: http://www.rennteam.com/showflat.php...fpart=all&vc=1

I'll get my car on Saturday and will be able to investigate more this w/e.

 

By the way, for a cartoon of a man looking worried because he is riding an escalator without a dog (and a full functional analysis), look here:

[media]http://www.phil.muni.cz/angl/bse/archive/BSE_25_01.pdf[/media]

 

I have seat that I purchased in London from a store there called Mamas and Papas - a UK Porsche owner tipped me. This seat, Protec model, connects on the belts - pretty slick, fits in the back of the Porsche. What is cool about this seat is the base tilts up/down. When my son is in the car - I tilt up. I noticed most of the Porsche/american seats have them sitting pretty straight up and when you slow down - they really lean forward - tough for the kiddies to get comfortable or sleep. When it is tilted down - the front passenger seat can move all the way back. The other thing I did was removed the seat cushions - only held on via Velcro. PM if you want more info.

 

how do you remove the seat backs? the bottoms just pull off - what about the reaer seat back in a cab ?

 

You can also pull off the middle back section, also held on by velcro. Then, there's a torx screw (#30 I think) on the outside which supposedly can be unscrewed to release the seat back. My dealer said there is then another screw on the other side that is visible later in the removal process.

However, I found the torx screw to be extremely tight and was unable to unscrew it using a hand tool. Having said that, I think that the most important thing is to remove the seat bottom to prevent damage to the cushion, and to have the child seat as low as possible. Leaving the seat back in place may actually help support the recline angle of the child seat.

I found that the Sunshine Kids Radian 80 does fit securely, but it sits at an offset angle pointed outwards, which aesthetically doesn't look good, particularly in a cabriolet. It also needs something wedged behind it to avoid it wobbling /rotating from side to side.

A friend with a 997 coupe said he has a black leather Eddie Bauer seat that he uses for his 2-year old. I might try to find something that fits better once I'm back later in the week.

 

By the way, the offset angle seems to be caused by the fact that the seat belt buckle is not attached completely at the back of the seat, but is a couple of inches forward of the back.

Since the seat belt is attached right at the back at the top, this causes the seat belt when buckled to be at a more forward angle on the inside of the car than on the outside. Hence it would seem that most seats would have the problem of being angled outwards if they were securely fitted with no slack in the seatbelt.

It would seem you might have to put something (e.g. a vertical cushion) behind the child seat on the outer part of the seat back, to angle the seat straighter so that it was more fully forward facing - but this would seem to reduce available legroom.

 

So, I gave up with the Sunshine Kids Radian 80. The wobbling and the offset angle didn't fill me with confidence. Also it has a pretty high back which sticks up quite a bit and is very visible in a cab.

I also tried out the Recaro Young Sport based on some local advice. It fit more snugly due to being slightly wider, and looked good, but it was only really connected to the car on the sides of the base. The base did mostly not touch the seat bottom in the center; also it was quite close to the passenger seat. Disappointing.

The car seat specialist at the store there could not recommend it - he'd had 40 hours of training on car seats and crash dynamics, and knew quite a bit about what actually happens in an accident. Remember that the seat belts give a little to spread collision forces over a longer time, so it is important to have some space in front.

So, I bit the bullet and bought the Porsche Junior Child Seat LATCH ($600+tax at my local dealer). I see that Suncoast is currently selling it for $500+$50 ground shipping (http://e-partssales.com/). It fits very well (as you would expect), doesn't stick up much, and has a lot of clearance to the passenger seat. It is somewhat awkward with using the 3-point seat belt and the impact table, but at least I have something which is guaranteed to work properly. It doesn't look as good in the light gray as the dark gray Recaro though. Ultimately the safety of your child is far more important than aesthetics and a few hundred $.

I haven't really tried it out yet as my car just went into the shop for repair. I'll get a better sense in a few weeks when I get my car back.

 

I just ordered the Porsche Junior seat for my 997 turbo. It looks to be the best one to go with.

Thanks for everyones input.

 

The Graco Comfortsport also fits in the 997 nicely from things I have read on Rennlist. The issue with the Porsche seat for children under 20lbs is that you have to use that rediculous pillow latch piece which freaks out most kids. It is a very old design and may be common in Europe but I would be very hesitant to use this with my daughter.

 

My son is 20 months and I want to get the vest seat I can for my 997......curious your thoughts...... thanks

 

I’m fairly new here but have to commemorate you on the design of your car. I think its very simple, but yet a complete eye catch and a stunner. Keep up the good work. If I was to ever return my convertible and get a coupe it would look something along the lines of your car.

 

So basically you guys didnt have much luck with the sunshine kids radian80 child seat for a 997 coupe? And the porsche seat from suncoast is the best fit/option for an 18+ month 22+ lbs

 

The Porsche Jr. Seat with Latch is the best seat there is, if you are ok with spending $450. It's good through 55 lbs. Any other seat you'd have to toss and buy a booster. The impact table is in fact comfortable for infants and toddlers, and by the time they are older you don't use it anymore. It fits perfectly. It was made for the car. It has an integrated rear anchor tether- which in the posted pics is NOT being used- not sure why, but it should be used.

The rear shelf on the 997S (and the 996) has a hidden anchor point under the carpeting. So in addition to using the rear seats 3 point belt, you MUST anchor the seat to the vehicle's frame using the tether strap attached to the rear of the Porsche Jr. Seat. I can attempt some pics, although historically I've not had success uploading them.