Sanrivatti's Radical Hypercar Concept Puts A Superbike Twist On Seating
Founded by automotive engineer Santiago Sánchez Rivero (an alumnus of low-volume Dutch sports car manufacturer Donkervoort), Sanrivatti is making waves with its radical "Apex Position." Rather than the conventional upright seating arrangement, Sanviratti's concept forces the driver into a central, head-forward, almost prone position, which should sound totally familiar to motorcycle enthusiasts.
The setup directly mirrors the ergonomics of a MotoGP rider tucked tightly over a superbike. The driver lies face down and stretched forward, with their feet positioned far back and legs likely straddling the transmission/battery tunnel, theoretically enabling them to use their balance, posture, and body weight to become an active participant in the driving dynamics.
Rivero believes that traditional automotive cockpits, regardless of how advanced they are, inherently isolate the driver from the vehicle through layers of seating packaging, electronic systems, and historical automotive convention. By leaning forward directly into the machine, the connection between human and asphalt becomes immediate, physical, more instinctive.
Of course, a face-first, four-wheeled vehicle raises safety and practical engineering questions. Indeed, the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo and McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo toyed with a similar prone layout, but these are confined to the digital realm. The reality is, moving a driver's head and torso closer to the windshield requires developing a different set of crash-safety innovations (and possibly, regulations), while navigating tight corners without the traditional feedback of a butt-dyno seat requires a learning curve.
Nonetheless, Sanrivatti's bold idea is being backed by serious industry muscle. Its leadership team is filled with automotive heavyweights, such as Paul Arkesden, former VP of Engineering at Singer Vehicle Design and the program leader for the McLaren P1 hypercar, and Geoff Dowding, a former director at both Bentley and Lotus.
