Side by side
| Recessed (pit) turntable | YilPlat (surface-mounted) | |
|---|---|---|
| What has to be built | A pit cut into the floor slab and formed in reinforced concrete to the maker's drawing | Nothing: it sits on a level, sound floor |
| Who is involved | The turntable supplier and a groundworks contractor, often with a structural engineer | Our installation team |
| Showroom out of use | Excavation, concrete and curing before the turntable goes in | About 2.5 hours on installation day |
| Costs beyond the turntable | Groundworks, concrete and making good the floor finish; sometimes drainage | None in the UK launch offer: delivery and installation are included |
| Leased premises | A structural alteration: usually needs the landlord's written consent and may have to be reinstated when the lease ends | Freestanding equipment: nothing is fixed to the building |
| If you move | The pit stays behind | Dismantles in about 40 minutes and moves with you |
| The floor around it | Flush, with nothing to step over | An 8.5 cm deck with edge ramps; LED edge lighting marks the edge |
| Upper floors and mezzanines | Rarely possible: there is no depth to cut into | Possible where the floor can take the load; check with your building's engineer |
| Servicing | The mechanism sits in the pit, below the deck | Every wheel, motor, panel and remote is replaced on its own |
What fitting a pit involves
A recessed turntable is a small construction project. The floor finish is cut out, the slab is broken out and excavated to the depth the turntable needs, and a reinforced-concrete pit is formed, levelled and left to cure. Only then is the turntable fitted and the floor finish made good around it.
Turntable makers usually quote for the turntable alone; the pit is priced by a contractor once the floor has been surveyed. Services under the slab, underfloor heating or a slab of unknown thickness add time and cost, and in rented premises the landlord's consent comes first.
When a recessed turntable makes sense
- You own the building and expect to stay for many years.
- The showroom is being built or refurbished, so the floor is open anyway.
- You want an uninterrupted floor with nothing to step over around the display.
If none of these applies, a surface-mounted turntable gives you the same rotating display without the building work. The lease side is covered in our guide to car turntables in leased showrooms.
Low cars and the 8.5 cm deck
The question dealers ask most about surface-mounted turntables is whether low cars can get on. YilPlat's deck is 8.5 cm high and every ramp is reinforced, so a car can drive on and off from any side except over the four ramps that cover the motors. Low supercars already turn on YilPlat platforms in UK showrooms, among them a Lamborghini Huracán at Sante Motors and a McLaren 750S Spider at Saint Motors in London. If most of your stock sits very low, send us the models and we will confirm the approach before you order.
About YilPlat
YilPlat is a motorised, surface-mounted car turntable designed and patented in Düzce, Türkiye: a Ø 4.3 m disc (Ø 5.0 m with ramps) on about a tonne of galvanised steel, rated for 5,000 kg on 66 wheels and turned by four 24 V motors. It runs from a wall panel on a standard 13 A socket or from two Bluetooth remotes. More than 800 have been installed in 12 countries since 2014. See the full car turntable specifications and how much space it needs in our car turntable size guide.
Questions dealers ask
Is a recessed car turntable better than a surface-mounted one?
Neither is better in every case. A recessed turntable gives a flush floor but needs a concrete pit, separate building work and a permanent change to the building. A surface-mounted turntable needs no building work, is installed in an afternoon and moves with you. For leased showrooms and most dealers, surface-mounted is the practical choice.
How deep is a car turntable pit?
It depends on the turntable: the maker specifies the pit size and depth, and a contractor builds it to that drawing. YilPlat needs no pit at all; it stands 8.5 cm above your existing floor.
Will a surface-mounted turntable damage my floor?
YilPlat is not fixed to the floor: there are no anchors, no drilling and no adhesive. The weight is spread across 66 wheels, and the floor is left as it was when the platform comes off. The floor needs to be level, dry and sound: concrete, epoxy, tile, marble or parquet.
Do I need permission to install a car turntable?
A surface-mounted turntable is equipment rather than building work: nothing is fixed to the building and it comes out without a trace. If you rent, tell your landlord. A pit is a structural alteration, so it usually needs the landlord's consent and may fall under building regulations.
How long does installation take for each type?
A recessed turntable waits for its pit: excavation, concrete and curing come first, so the showroom is disrupted for days or weeks. YilPlat is installed by our team in about 2.5 hours on the floor you already have, and it turns the same day.
Tell us what you have in mind.
Leave your details and our team will get back to you within one working day.