A new hypercar startup challenges one of the most fundamental aspects of performance car design: where the driver sits. Dutch brand Sanrivatti has unveiled what it calls the “Apex Position”, a forward-facing driving layout that aims to create a closer connection between rider and machine.The idea sounds simple: move the driver forward, tilt the body and change sight lines. However, the thinking behind it goes deeper than that. As modern hypercars continue to chase higher power outputs, advanced aerodynamics and sophisticated electronics, Sanrivatti believes that the driving experience can be transformed by rethinking the driver’s position in the vehicle. The company says its new concept draws inspiration from high-performance motorcycles, where the rider is more physically involved with the machine and more directly connected to its movements.
What is Apex positioning?
According to Sanrivatti, the Apex Position places the driver in a more focused and central location compared to a conventional hypercar. Most high-performance cars position the driver behind the front axle in a relatively reclined cockpit. The new look, however, moves the driver closer to the action and is designed to improve visibility, vehicle position and overall engagement behind the wheel.
The company claims the setup offers a wider field of view and allows drivers to more accurately judge curves and track positioning. It also aims to make the driver feel more involved during acceleration, braking and cornering, rather than being isolated from the vehicle’s movement.Sanrivatti founder and CEO Santiago Sanchez Rivero said the idea came from a simple question: Why does the connection between rider and machine feel more immediate on a motorcycle than in many high-performance cars?Cars, he claims, do the opposite. Layers of architecture, packaging and conventions sit between the driver and the road. The faster the car, the more technology mediates the experience rather than enhancing it.Apex Position is Sanrivatti’s attempt to close that gap. The driver sits more centrally in the vehicle, leaning forward rather than reclining. The field of view is wider. Placement of vehicles on the track becomes more intuitive. The driver, in theory, stops being a passenger attached to a very fast machine and becomes an active part of it.Sanrivatti says development of the prototype is progressing rapidly and more details about the hypercar will be revealed in the coming months. For now, the company’s focus remains on its central philosophy: designing hypercars around the driver, not the machine.
