Tracto-sphère

Franco Sbarro is never where you think you'll find it. In 2017, while students were playing the nostalgia card with the Rush and Mojave, Sbarro presented two stunning prototypes: the Pendo-traction and the Tracto-sphere.

Motorcycle, car?

The tracto-sphere is an unclassifiable vehicle. At first glance, you see three back-to-back seats. Then you notice that there's no side protection; no doors, no windows. Just a roof, part of which is transparent. Avoid this on rainy days! Inside, the steering wheel is almost horizontal. Another detail, already seen on the Pendocar in 2012 and the Twofor100 in 2011, is the transparent polycarbonate rims.

Sphere

After the first visual shock, you wonder why the front end is so round. Then it's time to recall the Assystem City Car of 2007. This astonishing car had diamond-shaped wheels, and the front and rear wheels could pivot on themselves. The Tracto-sphere takes up this principle. All the mechanical parts (engine, transmission and steering) are housed in this ball at the front. The whole thing can be rotated through 180°, so that the car can turn almost on itself. And as there was still a little space left in the sphere, Sbarro took the opportunity to create a space for three helmets.

Hybrid

As with the Assystem City Car, the powertrain is a hybrid. A small 300 cm3 two-cylinder motorcycle engine developing 55 hp is backed up by a 4 kW electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery.

Variable track

If the front is a surprise, Sbarro is also very active at the rear. The track, i.e. the distance between the rear wheels, can be varied. In town, when you're short of space, the track measures 90 centimetres. Then, when you're on faster roads, you can increase the track to 1.75 meters to improve stability. So you can have two vehicles in one: a narrow vehicle like a motorcycle for city use, and a wide vehicle like a car for road use.