Words: Kyle Cassidy
Published 6 August 2026
With 820kW and 1160Nm on tap, the Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera needs a bit of computing power to keep everything pointing in the right direction.
Rather than making a show of that technology, however, the revived Spanish marque says it wants its electronic systems to operate ‘unnoticed in the background’. It calls the approach “Invisible Technology”, with the driver remaining the focus rather than a collection of screens, apps and assistance systems.
The fully electric Carmen Sagrera is the third member of Hispano Suiza’s modern hypercar family, following the original Carmen unveiled in 2019 and the Carmen Boulogne that arrived a year later.
Its four electric motors produce a combined 820kW and 1160Nm, allowing the Sagrera to accelerate from 0–100km/h in a claimed 2.6 seconds. Managing that performance is Hispano Suiza Driver Dynamics, or HSDD, a proprietary control system responsible for stability, traction, braking, energy regeneration and power distribution.
It’s claimed the system processes more than 200 million instructions per second and receives information from over 100 sensors positioned throughout the car. These monitor everything from accelerator position and steering speed to brake pressure, wheel speed, damper travel and the vehicle’s yaw angle.
Battery charge, motor temperatures, ambient pressure and even altitude are also taken into account. HSDD is said to use the information to constantly adjust the car’s responses, ideally before its driver notices that anything has happened.
Among its components are the Grip Enhancement System for traction control and Active Yaw Modulation for stability. An Electronic Torque Stabiliser can also apply negative torque independently to either rear wheel, helping settle the car while recovering energy for the battery.
Thermal-management software monitors the battery and motors, aiming to balance maximum performance with component protection over an extended drive.
That all sounds like an electronic safety net, but Hispano Suiza says it has been calibrated to give drivers room to explore the car’s performance. Testing was led by former Formula 1 driver Luis Pérez-Sala and included both circuit work and driving on public roads.
The aim was to avoid abrupt cuts in power and obvious braking interventions. Instead, assistance is said to be introduced progressively, supporting the person at the wheel without disguising the car’s behaviour.
“At Hispano Suiza, we understand technology as a tool to intensify driving pleasure, not to replace it. The Hispano Suiza Driver Dynamics system coordinates every intervention so that it acts only when necessary, in a precise, natural way that is entirely consistent with the character of the vehicle,” says Juan Fernández, Chief Technical Officer at Hispano Suiza.
Drivers can alter the Sagrera’s behaviour through its selectable driving modes, with HSDD adapting the delivery of power, regenerative braking and electronic intervention to suit.
The Carmen Sagrera was unveiled in 2024 to mark the company’s 120th anniversary. It also introduces styling cues intended to influence future models from the Barcelona-based manufacturer.
