Ferrari continues to explore unconventional technical solutions. After rumours about a possible return of the manual gearbox, Maranello has now filed a new patent that is likely to spark debate, because it describes a passive safety system designed to separate the front wheel in a controlled way during an impact. The basic principle aims to prevent the wheel from being violently pushed towards the cabin in an asymmetric frontal crash. According to CarBuzz, Ferrari filed the patent with the USPTO, the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Ferrari explores a radical way to make frontal crashes safer
The system concerns the front suspension and introduces a programmed failure point in the support of the control arm. It uses a fastening bar with two weakened areas, designed to break only when the impact force exceeds a certain threshold. Ferrari’s idea appears highly refined and aims to guide the failure of the component, directing the wheel’s movement away from the body structure and the driver’s footwell.
The scenario considered is one of the most critical in modern crash testing: the angled frontal impact, where only one wheel violently hits an obstacle and loads a limited portion of the structure. In these cases, the wheel can act almost like a battering ram, transferring energy towards the chassis and risking deformation of the front section of the cabin. Ferrari’s patented solution tries to turn a potential weak point into a controlled escape route.
The front suspension support gives way, while the tie rods and the rear support of the control arm remain in place, preventing a completely uncontrolled detachment. The wheel therefore moves away from the body just enough to avoid sending all the impact energy into the vehicle structure, without becoming an unpredictable element for the surrounding environment.
This logic reverses the most immediate approach, which would simply involve making everything stiffer and heavier. Ferrari is instead studying a component designed to break at exactly the right moment, managing crash energy in a way that feels closer to controlling the impact rather than merely absorbing it. For a Ferrari, weight always remains a central issue. Adding stronger structures can help in crash tests, but it can also penalize performance, efficiency and dynamic behaviour. A programmed failure system could improve cabin protection without adding too much weight to the front section.
The potential advantage would be twofold, improving safety in asymmetric frontal crashes while also helping contain vehicle mass. That is far from a minor issue at a time when supercars and high-performance electric cars are becoming increasingly heavy. However, a patent does not automatically mean this technology will appear on a production model. Ferrari, like all major carmakers, constantly protects technical ideas, some intended for road cars and others designed to secure possible future developments.
