Complaints About the Porsche 911 (964)

Recently, I replaced both front and rear tires with new ones, and the air-cooled Porsche 964 has been running perfectly, so I’ve been driving it a lot. However, there was one long-standing issue I wasn’t happy with.

That was the seat shape not fitting my body. The 964 Carrera 2 comes with two types of factory seats: standard and sport seats. Mine is the standard seat.

These seats are made by Recaro and, despite being lightweight and thin, they have a solid rigidity, but the width is quite narrow. Even with my average Japanese build, the backrest feels like my back sticks out.

Also, the cushions in the center of the seat and backrest are very soft, causing my hips to sink in, and because of that softness, it tends to make me slouch.

Because of this, I often suffer from lower back pain.

Furthermore, unlike modern leather seats with anti-slip treatment, the surface is smooth and slippery, so it’s easy to lose your posture while driving.

When subjected to strong lateral G-forces, extra effort is needed to keep your body stable, which is very tiring.

Ordering a Custom Seat Cover for the Porsche 911 (964)

Despite these complaints, the sheer joy of driving the 964 made me overlook them—until one day, I was shown a 964 fitted with a seat cover.

The seat cover blended seamlessly with the interior as if it were factory original, and when I sat in it, I was amazed at how comfortable it felt.

I immediately contacted the manufacturer to find out where to buy it, and they said it was available online. I placed an order right away.

This seat cover is not a universal product but a fully custom design for each model. At the time of writing, covers are available for Porsche 964, 996, and 997 models, and if your model isn’t listed, you can request development through their website.

I chose the Dotty LUXUR-ALCANTARA seat cover, which features Alcantara on the seat and backrest, with the rest made of PVC leather.

The 964 seats come in standard and sport versions; since mine is standard, I selected the standard seat cover.

You can choose the Alcantara color between black and wine red. Based on the car’s interior and exterior vibe, I went with black. For the PVC leather parts, options include black, gray, beige, mocha brown, and aroma wine.

Samples of these materials can be requested for free, so it’s a good idea to check them beforehand. I chose black to match my car’s interior.

Also, you can select the stitch color. This was the toughest choice, with 14 options available. Initially, I considered blue or green to match the body color, but they clashed with the black leather, so I ruled them out.

White was another option, but since there are no white accents inside or outside the car and it seemed too conspicuous, I decided on a darker tone that matches the silver wheels, so I chose silver stitching.

How to Install the Seat Cover

About a month after ordering, the seat cover arrived.

The quality was better than I expected—very high-end. I’d say the cost performance is definitely worth it.

I immediately started the installation. Fortunately, the manufacturer provides a model-specific instruction manual, so I followed it step by step.

To start with my impression: it took about two hours, but the installation itself was relatively easy. There was no need to remove the seats, and slipping the cover on was hassle-free. Unless you’re extremely clumsy, anyone should be able to install it.

However, there was one tricky part I want to share.

That was removing the lever that folds the seatback forward. There are two levers on each seat, so four in total. The manual says, “Just pull them off,” but pulling normally didn’t budge them at all.

Even with a lot of force, they barely moved. Worried about breaking them, I used an interior trim tool to wedge in from both sides and gradually pry them off using leverage. Repeating this made removal easy.

After that, the rest was straightforward.

Remove the plastic cover on the seatback, slip on the cover, and secure it with Velcro and strings.

If this part goes smoothly, the whole job should be done within an hour.

Review of the Seat Cover

First, the look after installation is truly fantastic. It’s hard to believe it’s just a seat cover, and it instantly adds a sense of luxury.

Also, since the seat shape remains factory original, it doesn’t have the obvious aftermarket look of racing seats. The silver stitching was the right choice—subtle but a nice accent.

When I actually sat in it, the comfort was excellent. Although it’s just a cover, it feels like the seat has gained thickness, preventing my body from sinking too much.

Plus, the Alcantara holds the body just right, reducing posture collapse and making it easier to maintain the correct driving position. My wife also tried it and said, “It feels like a new car! So comfortable!”

Of course, since the seat shape itself doesn’t change, it’s not as effective as swapping the seat entirely, but driving on mountain roads with this cover is much easier. It really shows how much my body was moving on the original leather seats.

Generally, switching to bucket seats or other firm seats reduces lap times significantly on circuits, and this cover provides a similar effect.

With less unwanted steering effort to keep the body stable, steering feels smoother. Therefore, cornering is more stable, and precise steering control is possible. Most importantly, it’s less tiring even after long drives.

Also, unlike typical seat covers, it never slips or shifts. This is thanks to the precise custom design and the abundance of securing straps and Velcro.

I’m really glad this cover improved driving comfort so much. The cost performance is excellent.

I highly recommend it to 964 owners who are unhappy with their seat comfort, have worn seats, or want to prevent further seat deterioration.

The Seat Cover I Used