1. any safety and practicality issues with the 4 point belts vs regular seatbelt with/without rollbar (for street and track use)? 2. Can hans device be used with 4 point belts? 3. anybody have option list for 09 build? thanks
I can't help you on questions 1 & 2. 2009 models will start around February. Any changes and options are not available yet. You can expect a price increase.
I have 4 points in my car without a rollbar. No practicality issues and I feel much better strapped in tighter given the cornering capability of the car. To me the rollbar is a useless accessory - adds weight and does little to nothing for safety. But I am used to full roll cages in race cars and anything less than that seems like a waste of time to me. Others may have different views. I notice that my friends who are not racers all get the rollbar...
Ive got the 4 point with the rollbar I think they are much better than the standard belts but they do take a bit to get used to at the start as you keep doing stupid things like leaving the door open and then not being able to reach it. The only real practical issue Ive had is trying to fit child seats but now I just use a booster seat because the 4 points hold the kids in really well.
1. In the club racing circles I run in (mainly heavily modified street cars), running 4-6pt belts without a rollbar is frowned upon for track use, the consensus being that if the car rolls you will be locked in place and thus will have a greater likelihood of head injury and/or death as the roof collapses. On the street this roll scenario is much less likely but then again why bother running 4-6pt belts on the street? What possible benefit are they except to feel "cool"? If you're driving fast enough to actually need 4pt belts then you're probably driving fast enough to need 6pt belts and a rollbar. 2. I don't see why you couldn't use the 4pts with a HANS, the pass-thrus in the Scud seats seem at the right level.
The rollbar in the Scud would not be accepted as a rollbar for track purposes. It is a decoration. How would a Hans work with 4 point belts. The shoulder straps could not be tight enough. I have never used a Hans with anything but 6 point belts
I never said the rollbar was any good or that it would ever be accepted in club racing, what I said was that it is potentially dangerous to NOT have the rollbar and HAVE 4pt straps for street or track day applications. I apologize if this was not clear. And the OP asked "Can hans device be used with 4 point belts?", not "How effective would a HANS device be 4pt vs 6pt?", which is a more complicated question!
The club I belong to, VIR, will not allow 4-point harnesses. They require a submarine strap. They argue that in a head-on crash you can slip under the 4-point harness. They actually prefer a standard seat belt over a 4-point.