If we think of a hypercar where the driver is the center around which the entire driving experience revolves, that is probably the legendary McLaren F1 from 1992, a car designed by and for driving.
Starting from this concept, the Dutch startup Sanrivatti says it is working on a car where “the driver becomes the reference point”. So much so that it is positioned inside the cabin in a very similar way to what it would be like to be at the controls of a superbike.
Sanrivatti, the hypercar that redefines the role of the driver
This is, basically, the idea behind the approach on which Sanrivatti’s R&D department works. In fact, there is not much information that has been leaked on their social networks regarding the project. Nor do they detail precisely what we are dealing with on their official website. What is fairly clear is the brand’s vision of what a hypercar should be.
They even affirm that their future model is not a simple sketch with which to try to excite car fans: “It’s already underway”they assure. However, seeing the first images of the aforementioned virtual design, we are faced with a series of doubts about how viable such a car will ultimately be within the current supercar market. In any case, sticking to how the brand itself describes the project, Santiago Sanchezits founder, explains:
“Sanrivatti starts with posture, line of sight and control. The driver becomes the reference point. A head-forward driving position. The driver sits more centered and forward, not reclined behind the front axle, for a wider field of vision, more precise positioning on the track and a deeper physical connection with the car.”
As we can see in the first sketches shown by the Dutch firm, the rider sits with his body forward, simulating (in a way) the position we adopt when we get behind the controls of a superbike. From Sanrivatti they explain: “Sitting forward and in an elevated position opens the way and allows you to see the summit ahead”. It is assumed that the physical immersion of the driver would elevate his own driving experience compared to that of any other hypercar.
“The body interprets acceleration, braking and cornering more directly,” they argue. In this way they explain that it is achieved “a more precise perception of the car’s position, down to the centimeter, at high speed”. From Sanrivatti they conclude by making it official that a functional prototype “It’s helping them understand posture, control and perception in real-world conditions.”
That said, at the moment, they have not shown or presented, nor offered any information about everything that their new hypercar is assumed to offer. That is, everything is reduced to mere commercial marketing. On the other hand, no matter the driving position adopted by anyone who takes the controls of the future Sanrivatti (if it finally materializes into a real and functional car), they will never be able to emulate the sensations offered by a Superbike.
And it will not be able to do so because there are a series of factors that are impossible to replicate in a car that a motorcycle does offer us. We are talking about an almost unique experience within the automotive sector: the sound, the smells, the sensations that the driver feels when balanced on two wheels or simply the fact of being able to feel the sun, the air or the rain while driving, no car on the planet can emulate it. None.
