Will I fit in a Birkin?!

[jordway]

8 hours ago, pethier said:

I believe the SV also has room for a supercharger.

As an example, this is the supercharger in my SV...

[Davemk1]

Many years ago I owned an original small chassis Birkin and I needed to make lots of little tweaks to get it to fit me. I'm 6'4" and about 180 lbs.

 

I replaced the stock seat with an aluminum race seat fixed directly to the floor without any adjustment runners. I moved the pedals all the way forward. I fit a small diameter steering wheel. I removed the thick rubber pedal pads and replaced them with skateboard grip to get that extra 1/4" of leg room. And so on...

 

In the end I was able fit but just barely at my height. I think if you are looking at an older Birkin (not the new larger chassis) you can make it work but it will not work right out of the box. If you are looking at a newer car with the larger chassis I think you'd have no trouble getting the fit just right with minimal effort.

 

I currently own a Westfield that has the larger chassis with the dropped floor and I fit very well in it. Everything is maxed out but I fit well and can spend plenty of time in the saddle no problem.

 

dave

 

 

[Silber]

The previous owner of my Birkin was probably about 6'2" or 6'3" and fit fine. My opinion with the size is fitting in it depends more on how wide you are than how tall you are (though both are important factors to consider). I'm just 5'7" with size 8 shoes, and I can drive with almost any shoe or boot, and am almost too short to comfortably drive the car.

[pethier]

11 hours ago, JohnCh said:

 

So does the S3 - the 620 engine is available in both versions - or are you positing you can work around the steering shaft interference issue in a LHD SV configuration? The extra bonnet space is the other reason I chose the SV. With all the custom engine installation work I did during my build, it came in handy. Although it may not have been strictly necessary, it undoubtedly made things less frustrating.

Makes sense to me.

[wemtd]

If you’ve never seen one in the wild it’s definitely worth a tour around PNW As well as a trip to PDX.

between adjusting pedal box & seat your height can be accommodated. The newer(current) Birkin chassis also comes in two sizes: ‘tight’ & ‘relaxed fit’

 

good luck with your hunt

[pethier]

4 hours ago, Silber said:

The previous owner of my Birkin was probably about 6'2" or 6'3" and fit fine. My opinion with the size is fitting in it depends more on how wide you are than how tall you are (though both are important factors to consider). I'm just 5'7" with size 8 shoes, and I can drive with almost any shoe or boot, and am almost too short to comfortably drive the car.

My 5'8" comes with size 10 or 10.5 feet.  I need driving shoes for my Caterham.  I don't think I have tried yet to drive the Birkin with other shoes.  After the last autocross, the Birkin went into my shop without a lot of driving.

 

 

[slowdude]

On 2/18/2026 at 9:38 AM, wdb said:

 

Right. They're both cars that you put on like a pair of pants.

Wait you guys wear pants when you drive???

[pethier]

5 hours ago, slowdude said:

Wait you guys wear pants when you drive???

I wear pants and trousers. And a long-sleeve shirt.  I got my melanin (well, lack thereof) from my Irish mother.

[wemtd]

Hearing & vision protection should always be worn. So if you like: pants are optional. 
 

[CBuff]

Would certainly give the police a moment of pause if they asked you to step out of the vehicle.  
 

[DemoDan]

Hi guys! Sorry, I just noticed this... I think your feet might be tighter than the seat! Mine is in Spanaway if you want to take a look sometime. 

[Ropey]

Updates!

John very kindly let me try his simply beautiful Caterham SV on for size on Saturday morning, and it fitted like a bright green glove! Thank you John.

Meanwhile Dave just as kindly offered to take a look at the Birkin in question, and found it to be a lovely example ... alas very tight for him, and I am a bit longer of leg and bigger of foot. A real shame, otherwise the car looks perfect. Thank you Dave.

So the search continues!

Thanks to everyone for their help and advice.

[JohnCh]

Big shout out to @David Hansen for allowing me to volunteer him to look at the Birkin  @Ropey, we need to find you a local S3 you can try on for size to see if that's an option. Any volunteers in the Seattle area?

[DemoDan]

Birkin S3 near Tacoma..

Are you still calling for a volunteer in the area to show you one.. Or have you given up on the Birkin idea?

 

 

[Ropey]

Thanks Dan, I just sent you a PM!

[Marek]

On 2/17/2026 at 7:17 PM, JohnCh said:

 

Here is a dimensioned comparison from Caterham. The SV wheelbase is also 3.15" longer, and the F&R tracks are 4.33" wider, while the boot and fuel tank are both slightly larger at 130 L versus 120 L and 41 L versus 36 L, respectively. To me, the SV drives bigger, but it is much easier to get in and out thanks to the lengthened door opening, and the footbox is much better for big feet. Although I prefer the dynamics of the S3, I went with the SV to cope with a deteriorating body and make touring a bit easier.

 

 

 

 

What is the largest Seven?

 

I believe a Rotus is 1124mm x 3660mm x 1665mm (HLW).  Basically a SV with an extra foot of length and a smidge at the hips.  But parked side-by-side, the differences seem greater.  My suspicion is the somewhat squarer body (especially the nose) exaggerates the difference.