Top Gear Garage
Important consumer advice here. Mark’s been giving his posterior some special attention
Internationally renowned photographer Mark has been working with TG for many, many years. When not taking photos he’s buying inappropriate cars. Here he shares his addiction with the world…
A few years ago, while working in Japan, I fell quite ill and needed taking into hospital. Long before COVID-19, I was on something of a food rampage centred around how much sashimi the Japanese offered. This was right up until I was rolling around in pain with gastroenteritis.
First, I was put on a stretcher designed for Japanese people. Which meant I resembled one of those giant bratwursts you get in Germany served on a tiny bread roll. Then, I was loaded into a kei-sized ambulance which – if I had stretched my arms out – I could’ve held on to like some kind of JDM fairground waltzer. Finally, I was wheeled into the hospital by an army of chuckling nurses, which easily could’ve been the start of a terrifying Eighties sci-fi film.
While I underwent the ancient Hokkaido technique of limb-origami to squeeze into the Japanese wheelchair, it dawned on me several times that while I adore all aspects of Japanese culture, my physique couldn’t be further from the ideal.
Which was also made abundantly clear when I bought a Ferrari 360 Challenge from Japan several years later. It had a bucket seat fitted for racing purposes. A bucket seat that was installed by a Japanese man who, if he identified as a Caterham Seven, made me a Hummer H2. Even with Gillian McKeith examining every one of my turds for six months there is no weight loss plan on earth that’d sit me comfortably in it.
The solution? Go bigger. In fact, go bigger and better. Because in the world of road and race seats, I can’t think of anyone who does it better than Recaro. And chances are you’ll have spent an alarming amount of time in one already. Planes, trains and almost all OEMs have relied on ’em over the years. From cult classics like the RS Turbo to every Clubsport Porsche GT model.
My go-to Recaro has always been the Pole Position. I love this design; it looks equally at home in a road car as it does a racecar. But getting the right version is key. For example, if you’re going racing, you need the FIA-approved version with its additional lower support.
In the words of Shakira, my hips don’t lie – they tell a 33-year-long story of eating too much. And the Pole Position ABE has a wider hip area to accommodate this but without losing the support to keep you pinned in while cornering. Perfect for someone who thinks a 360 Challenge racecar is worth making road legal too.
I’m not a massive fan of leather seats unless they’re in something like an S-Class, so I’ve gone for trusty fabric complete with white lettering and harness holes. The colour? Red obviously, because nothing about this car is subtle – and the original race seats would’ve been red too.
Don’t get me wrong, the Ferrari is still far from practical – especially with a six-point harness as a seat belt – but the ability to feel your backside after a drive is a simple pleasure I can’t wait to experience with it.
Keyword: How to make your Ferrari 360 Challenge a more comfortable road car