Ferrari has filed a new patent that allows the driver to choose between left-hand, right-hand or centre drive. Does Ferrari see the future supercar as a change of driving position depending on the situation?
The intriguing patent was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last July, and judging from the patent drawings, the driver's seat, steering wheel & steering column, and three pedals will all be integrated into a single unit, similar to what a racing simulator looks like. The lateral movement of the driving position is then achieved by means of three sets of slides on the floor and a conveyor belt integrated into the head. When racing, you can drive in the center and move to the side when you're done to get on and off the car.
In general, in order to make this design more feasible, both steering and braking must use drive-by-wire technology, which means that there is no physical connection between the driver and the vehicle, and there is no fixed passenger seat to occupy the moving space, which must be easily removed or stowed away. According to foreign media CarBuzz, the seats, steering wheel, and pedals in this system can be adjusted individually to achieve an ideal driving sitting position.