Often the interior is the last part of a project to get attention. It’s easy to get amped up about more power or sharpened handling, but there are some interior touch points that can really improve the driving experience before and after you improve the car’s performance. That’s definitely the case with performance seating, which is why Late Model Restoration worked with TMI Products to create the SVE S3 Sport Seat.

“It came up as most good deals do — over dinner and beers after hours at SEMA last November!” Waylon Krumrie, Sales Manager at TMI Products Inc., explained. “The good guys at Late Model Restoration had stopped by the booth and noticed the eight new styles of bolt in race seats that we were debuting at the show. When they saw that we had moved full bore into custom race seats capable of housing a four-point harness – the gears started turning — and the idea of reinventing the already popular SVE S2 started to formulate.”

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LMR is offering a new race-style seat for 1979-2004 Mustangs — the SVE S3 Sport Seat by TMI Products. The SVE S3 Sport Seats feature ample bolstering, harnessbelt compatibility and a grippy, UniSuede insert reminiscent of the factory 2003-2004 Cobra seats. (Photo Credit: LMR)

If you aren’t up to speed on Special Vehicle Equipment, it is an in-house banner under which LMR sells its own products, which range from shifters to seats and anything in between.

“Our goal with the SVE brand is to bring high-quality, affordable items to the Mustang parts industry with a key focus on style and performance,”Justin Martin, Marketing Director at Late Model Restoration, said. “We strive to create unique products that are aligned with a more factory replacement design and fitment, with an edgier approach to performance and style. The SVE S3 seat is a perfect example of this thought process in action.”

While LMR previously offered performance seating as part of the SVE line, it was time to update things with a racing-style seat that delivered style and comfort.

The New Style

“When our older SVE S2 seat was phasing out of production, we wanted to bring a higher level of performance, fitment, and styling to a higher quality product in efforts to solidify the SVE brand,” Justin explained. “TMI has been a great supplier for us for many years, and the quality of its products has always been top-notch. When the brainstorming on the S3 seat came to the table, we went with the company we knew best and the SVE S3 seat by TMI was born! TMI delivers exceptional attention to the details and the overall appeal of the products they produce, so working with them on the S3 just made sense.”

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The seats feature bolstering in the shoulder, kidney, and thigh areas, which works with the UniSuede insert to keep you planted in the seat. It is obviously set up to receive racing-style harnessbelts, but the adjuster on the side allows you to set the recline angle just where you want it.

The seat is designed with improve bolstering at the shoulder, kidney, and thigh areas. It is also set up for harnessbelts and offers an adjustable mechanism, so drivers can dial in just the right level of comfort. It also sports styling that definitely fits a Mustang interior.

“With the new S3 I wanted to design a custom race seat that would still look at home in any year range of Mustang. Keeping that in mind we opted to use an insert that is very reminiscent of pretty much the most popular and sought after Mustang seat ever made — the ’03-’04 Terminator seats,” Waylon said.

Material Improvements

Choosing this material obviously made the seats stylish, but it also took the performance of the seats up a notch from a typical seat.

“If you notice, the insert on the S3 is similar to that Cobra seat pattern and we also opted to use UniSuede on the insert just as the Cobra seats did,” Waylon added. “UniSuede inserts are more than just styling cues though. They work in two other highly functional ways: Number one, UniSuede is a very breathable fabric, which allows for much better airflow than even a perforated vinyl would, keeping you dry on a hot summer day, and number two, UniSuede will actually help keep you firmly planted in your seat, as it is not a smooth slippery surface like vinyl. UniSuede adds an almost Velcro-like effect against your clothes and helps keep you in place during those turns!”

More To Come

Sounds pretty nice, right? Right now these seats are available for 1979-1998 Mustangs (PN SVE-7904WS; $849.99) and 1999-2004 Mustangs (PN SVE-7905WS; $849.99). However, in the near future, LMR and TMI will expand the SVE S3 Sport Seat to include direct fitments for S197 and S550 applications.

“We are working on those applications right now, so you can expect those to be in production by the time summer hits!” Waylon said.

That’s definitely great news, but if you are looking at upgrading the front seats in your Mustang, you might be wondering what to do about the rear seats. Well, don’t call the upholstery shop just yet, because soon LMR and TMI will make your interior complete.

“Having our manufacturing based in the California and not overseas grants us many perks — one big one being we can manufacture custom and unique products just as easily as stock items,” he added. “With that available option, we thought it would be a great idea to offer rear seat upholstery to match the new S3 race seats. We are working on these patterns now to fit 1979-2017 Mustangs. Again, you can expect those options to be available through LMR by the time summer hits.”

So, if you were looking for new seats for your Mustang, there are definitely some fresh options to consider from LMR and TMI. You can learn more at the official LMR site right here.