"This very special vehicle was conceived and created in the form of a full-scale model in 1994, by the French designer Philippe Charbonneaux, now in his eighties, who was present at the inauguration of the Espera educational center in Pontarlier in September 1995, which featured, among other projects, the very same model. This car, now embodied by Espace Sbarro, has a double advantage, in line with the original concept: highly aerodynamic (like Philippe Charbonneaux's 1946 Wimille with central drive and central-rear engine, with an astonishing Cx of 0.21!), the Ellipsis is egg-shaped with diamond-shaped wheels. This totally new configuration is designed to deliver exceptional levels of passive safety. The Ellipsis features a three-seat cabin with central steering. In the event of a collision, the vehicle's slender, shark-like silhouette makes it possible to dodge the obstacle, since the absence of edges and corners on the car means that the object encountered has virtually no hold on it. The Ellipsis is thus instantly diverted from its trajectory, limiting to an unimaginable degree the harmful consequences that would result from a "traditional" collision. Powered by a 3.6-liter Porsche Carrera engine and equipped with a Tiptronic gearbox, the Ellipsis features a large trunk (due to the vehicle's length, which is due to its ovoid shape). Weighing in at around 1100 kg, the vehicle's manoeuvrability enables it to turn on the road at a steering angle of 160 degrees."