FERRARI IS DEVELOPING a new hinge mechanism to improve entry and exit from its vehicles, according to a patent application the supercar company has submitted.

The patent’s diagrams reveal a door which extends into the front guards, creating a huge opening just aft of the front wheel arches. To reduce the external space required when opening, the doors pivot upwards rather than swinging out.

The longer opening is designed to make entry and egress simpler for low-slung sports cars, Ferrari’s patent application states.

Occupants can place their feet immediately behind the front wheel, meaning less contortion and more leg ‘swing-out’ room.

The new design is adaptable to front, mid and rear-engined cars, with Ferrari’s hallmark long-bonneted styling well suited to the new system.

The patent applications claims the hinges will be “easy and cost-effective to make” particularly when compared to gullwing doors, although in the world of supercars cost is less of a concern for customers.

A simpler build process would mean healthier profit margins for the Italian manufacturer.

Already spy shots of the 612 Scaglietti successor are starting to circulate, the eccentric shutlines of the proposed new door mechanism clearly absent.

Which new product, if any, will wear the new system in production remains to be seen.