The most curious car doors
have in common? That's right, their door concept.
The Duden describes a door as a "device in the form of a hinged, usually rectangular plate for closing a passageway, an entrance or the like." This definition leaves a lot of room for imagination for car developers. Our list shows their most curious ideas.
Cars with curious doors
- Mercedes 300 SL
- Tesla Model X
- DeLorean DMC-12
- Melkus RS 1000
- Lamborghini Countach
- McLaren F1
- Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR
- Lincoln Continental
- BMW i3
- Saab Aero X
Folding doors
Hinged doors are hinged on the roof and open vertically upwards. From the front, it looks as if the vehicle has wings. This door concept has not prevailed in large-scale production. Today, they are only used in small series or prototypes.
Mercedes 300 SL: A legend of coincidence and necessity
One of the best-known gullwing models is the Mercedes 300 SL of the W198 series. Mercedes is not developing the successor to the W194 entirely voluntarily. In the 1950s, a US importer urged the manufacturer to develop a road model for the American market from the W194 racing sports car. Since the W194 has won several races overseas, Mercedes gives in and develops the production car.
The gullwing doors are born out of necessity. The tubular space frame of the Mercedes 300 SL is so high on the flanks that a conventional car door simply does not fit. The solution: The door must open away from the frame towards the sky. For example, the Mercedes 300 SL gets its gullwing doors called "Gull Wings".
The Mercedes SL 300 also stands out in other ways. Its engine is decades ahead of its time. In the 1950s, it was one of the first cars ever to drive with gasoline direct injection. This concept was not taken up again until about 40 years later, but today it is widely used. Currently (as of December 2020), four of the approximately 1,400 Mercedes 300 SL Coupés built are offered on mobile.de. Prices start at around one million euros.
esla Model X: For those who can't decide
Tesla combines two different concepts with the Model X. The driver and front passenger open their doors conventionally. If you want to sit on the back seat, you can get into the SUV through large gullwing doors. When it comes to the equipment of the Model X, Tesla likes to reach into the Mercedes shelf (e.g. Steering column switches or controls for window regulators come from Daimler). When it comes to naming, however, company founder Elon Musk is pursuing his own ideas. The Stuttgart seagull ("Gull Wings") becomes an American falcon in the Model X: Tesla calls its gullwing doors "Falcon Wings".
Two electric motors power the Model X. As a Tesla Model X Performance, the large electric car has a system output of 611 hp. With an economical driving style, the Model X can travel up to 550 kilometers. The SUV, which weighs just under 2.5 tonnes, then manages the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds. The top speed is 261 km/h.
By the way: The real (wandering) falcon easily outperforms Tesla's Model X Performance. In a nosedive, the peregrine falcon was measured at 322 km/h (world record).
DeLorean DMC-12: 132 hp for the leap through time
The cinema trilogy "Back to the Future" (from 1985) makes the DeLorean DMC-12 world famous. To this day, no other car looks like a time machine anymore than the sports car coupé with its gullwing doors. However, the cool look comes at the expense of functionality: DMC manufactures the doors almost entirely from stainless steel, which is why they are very heavy. In addition, the windows cannot be lowered far enough because of the rounded door shape. If the driver wants fresh air, he has to make do with a small gap. But the list of deficiencies does not stop there. The antenna only provides moderate radio reception, and the gap size was a foreign concept for the workers at the DMC plant in Northern Ireland. The roof and windows are often leaking and the 130 hp engine is too weak for the vehicle.
DMC boss John DeLorean was nevertheless convinced of the success of his DMC-12: In the hope of a more successful IPO, DeLorean doubled the production of the DMC-12 in the early 1980s. A fatal mistake, because orders have already fallen below the previous level. The DMC-12 becomes a slow seller. In order to raise new capital, DeLorean agrees to a cocaine deal. He is caught by the police, but acquitted because he claimed to have been lured into the trap by an undercover agent of the US authorities. And as if DMC's subsequent bankruptcy wasn't enough, John DeLorean is currently undergoing a $17.5 million embezzlement trial in the UK. Enough material for Hollywood?
On mobile, six DeLorean DMC-12s are offered at prices of around 50,000 to 70,000 euros (as of December 2020).
Melkus RS 1000: Unsocialist desires
At the beginning of the 1960s, racing driver Heinz Melkus dreamed of a sports car built in the GDR. One like the Ford GT40, for example. In the end, it will be the most extravagant Wartburg 353 that the political leadership has ever allowed to roll along East German motorways.
The fact that the wing-spreading Melkus RS 1000 is closely related to the Wartburg 353 only becomes clear under the sheet metal. The chassis, wheels, windshield and engine come from the conservative Wartburg 353. The engine in the Wartburg produces 70 hp. For the RS 1,000 racing car, the engineers elicit an additional 20 hp from the three-cylinder two-stroke engine. According to estimates, 101 units were built. So getting hold of an original Melkus RS 1000 is not so easy.
It was no different back then. In order to be allowed to enter the sports car through the imposing gullwing doors, you need connections. All others need the so-called "proof of a racing-like activity". However, the association responsible for this only issues this in exceptional cases.
In 2009, Melkus revived the GDR gullwing in the form of the modern Melkus RS 2000 sports car. However, with moderate success. Three years later, the company filed for bankruptcy after only 25 units had been built.
Other vehicles with gullwing doors:
- Mercedes C111 (prototype)
Scissor doors
Scissor doors are often confused with hinged doors. The scissor doors, which open upwards to the front, are hinged on the A-pillar near the fenders. It is usually held open by a gas pressure spring.
The pioneer among cars with scissor doors is the Carabo, a show car built by Alfa Romeo for the 1968 Paris Motor Show, developed by Italian designer Marcello Gandini, who rose to become an Italian automotive design icon in the course of the 1970s alongside Giorgetto Giugiaro (designed the VW Golf in 1973 and later the DMC-12).
Lamborghini Countach LP400: The fastest barn door in the world
The question of why the 1974 Lamborghini Countach (pronounced Kuntasch) has scissor doors forces designer Gandini to come up with an adventurous explanation. He asserts that the door design is about practical use and not extravagance. Reason: Like every Lamborghini, the Countach only has a tiny rear window. Reverse parking? Luck. According to Gandini, only the gullwing doors provide a good overview. The driver should simply lean out of the open door with his upper body while maneuvering. In this way, he can also find his way into narrow parking spaces. You don't need much space to get out. The doors open upwards and not to the side. In the meantime, reversing cameras and parking beepers solve this problem.
The Lamborghini Countach LP400 is powered by 375 hp from a 4-liter V12 engine. It can reach 100 km/h within 5.4 seconds. Gandini draws the Countach very flat. Despite its low height of 1.07 meters, the Italian sports car only achieves a drag coefficient of 0.42 in the wind tunnel. By comparison, the Cw world record for production vehicles is held by the Mercedes A-Class Sedan built in 2019 with 0.22.
With a top speed of 288 km/h, the Countach is the fastest barn door in the world in the mid-seventies. Those who are interested in the LP400 despite the lousy drag coefficient can now only fall back on a limited offer. The few models that are for sale cost from about 500,000 euros. Later versions are slightly cheaper. Eight models of the Lamborghini Countach are currently for sale at mobile.de (as of December 2020).
Tip: Measure the ceiling height of the garage before buying. A Countach with open doors is more than two meters high. So the name makes sense again, because Countach means "oha" in Piedmont.
Well-known cars with scissor doors:
- Bugatti EB110
- Renault Twizy
Butterfly doors
Butterfly doors are very similar to scissor doors. They are hinged on the A-pillar and also open upwards. However, they rotate around the A-pillar. In the front view, its flanks can be seen when the doors are open. In contrast to scissor doors, they allow entry completely.
That's why this door design is often found in super sports cars and motor sports today. Driver changes work faster if the entry is free. In addition, doors that open upwards give mechanics more room to work in narrow pit lanes.
McLaren F1: For the quick change
The most famous car with butterfly doors is the McLaren F1, the masterpiece of design chief Gordon Murray. At McLaren Automotive, a total of 106 units rolled out of the production hall between 1993 and 1997. 72 of them will be approved for road use, 28 will be converted into GT1 race cars. Six other examples are prototypes. The greatest motorsport success of the McLaren F1 is the overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995.
In 1993, the McLaren F1 was not only the fastest production car in the world at 386 km/h, but also the most expensive at 1.6 million Deutschmarks. The heart of the McLaren F1 sits under its carbon shell – a 675 hp 6-liter V12 engine contributed by BMW. The combination explains the exorbitant driving performance of the F1. With a curb weight of only 1,138 kg, each horsepower moves just 1.68 kilograms. The sprint to 100 km/h in the McLaren F1 takes just 3.2 seconds.
A successor called T.50 has been announced for 2022 – also designed by Gordon Murray and, of course, with the familiar door concept of its predecessor.
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren pays homage to the Stuttgart-based company's motorsport commitment. The tailpipes of the exhaust system behind the front axle are reminiscent of the Mercedes 300 SLR, but especially the Uhlenhaut Coupé from the 1950s. The elongated nose is reminiscent of modern Formula 1 cars.
The entrance to the two-seater is provided by two towering butterfly doors. What happens when the doors are closed and the engine is started is likely to chase away every butterfly in the vicinity in the long term. The turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 with 626 hp proves loudly that the SLR McLaren does not only wear the homage to motorsport on the outer skin. In 3.8 seconds, the speedometer needle jumps to 100 km/h, in 10.2 seconds to 200 km/h.
Over time, Mercedes added special editions of the SLR McLaren. They are also reminiscences of motorsport. For example, the "SLR 722 Edition" from 2006. The number 722 was the starting number of the 300 SLR at the 1955 Mille Miglia, with racing legend Stirling Moss and co-driver Dennis Jenkinson winning the race.
Stirling Moss even gets his "own" version in 2009. In 2009, 75 units of the Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss, without roof and windscreen, rolled off the production line.
There are currently (as of December 2020) 48 Mercedes SLR McLaren on offer at mobile.de. Prices start at around 200,000 euros. For the Mercedes SLR McLaren Sterling Moss, they start at around 2 million euros with a far expandable upper limit.
Other models with butterfly doors
Suicide Doors/Portal Doors
The suicide doors, also called suicide doors in this country, are hinged in the area of the B-pillar (front doors) or the C-pillar (rear doors). They open in the opposite direction compared to conventional doors.
Especially in vehicles from the first half of the 20th century, the door concept, initially called "Coach Doors", is used. At that time, the carriage was still the most widespread means of transport. It is logical that car designers are inspired by their door concepts. This is how the "Coach Doors" are created, in German: carriage doors.
As the cars were able to drive faster in the course of their technical development, accidents with the carriage doors became more frequent. Since then, they have been colloquially called "suicide doors". The reason: If the door opens a crack while driving due to a technical defect or carelessness on the part of the driver, the air suction tears it open. Quite a few drivers are dragged out of the car when they try to hold the door shut.
Lincoln Continental: A Remnant of the Past
If you ask about suicide doors in the "post-carriage age", the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental (1961-1969) is one of the best-known representatives. A special feature of the Continental: The front doors are hinged at the front, so they work like today's car doors. The rear doors open in opposite directions. This principle is also known as "portal doors" and can only be found on the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental in the 1960s.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Continental, Lincoln is launching a special model limited to 80 units in 2019 and paying homage to the Coach Doors familiar from the 1961 Continental. There it will be delivered with a 406 hp, twin-turbocharged V6 engine. Sufficient comfort is provided by an adaptive suspension and discretion by windows that darken at the touch of a button. Just four weeks after its presentation in January 2019, the anniversary Continental were sold out for around 100,000 euros each.
BMW i3: 3 1/2 doors for the small electric car
The BMW i3 has been on the roads since 2013 and will receive a facelift in 2018. The door concept of the i3 is reminiscent of that of the Lincoln Continental. The only difference is that we can only call the rear entry option a door with a lot of good will. It can only be opened in conjunction with the front door and is therefore strictly speaking a kind of boarding aid for the rear passengers.
With the i3, BMW attaches great importance to sustainability. The Bavarians manufacture the body from glass-fibre reinforced plastic, parts of the chassis from aluminium. The BMW plant in Leipzig uses disused batteries as storage for electricity generated from the plant's own wind turbines, among other things.
The battery for the Bavarian electric car is 42.2 kWh. While BMW smuggled a small gasoline engine on board with the previous i3 as a range extension for safety, the current version has a range of 330 kilometers suitable for everyday use with sufficient storage size. At mobile.de, around 1,200 units of the BMW i3 are offered from around 13,000 euros (as of December 2020).
Every few years, car manufacturers flirt with the doors that open in opposite directions. In 2010, Opel installed it in the Meriva compact van, Mazda in 2003 in the RX-8 and in the current MX-30 electric SUV. Fiat is also giving its first pure electric car, the Fiat 500e, a portal door. The concept was planned for the Porsche Taycan, but did not make it into series production.
More ways to get into a car
Canopy doors: Because it's possible
"Canopy" means "roofing" or "canopy" in German. In order to allow entry into the vehicle, the entire roof of the vehicle moves forward over the bonnet or backwards over the rear in this door concept. Canopy doors are reminiscent of the domes of fighter jets.
Far from being suitable for everyday use, this construction is used in design studies or show cars. There are no large-scale production vehicles with canopy doors so far.
Saab Aero X: Transformers in Swedish
Saab implemented new concepts, not only in the doors, in its "Aero X" study from 2006. Under the hood of the coupé sits a 400 hp 2.8-liter V6 with twin turbochargers. It cannot be operated with regular petrol. The Scandinavian needs something harder. The engine is designed to run on 100% ethanol.
To ensure sufficient rigidity and low weight, the engineers manufacture the body from carbon-reinforced plastic. It is only the weight savings that make the door concept possible. The entire roof, including doors and windscreen, folds forward over the bonnet when opened. There are no other ways to get started. If you have forgotten the jacket in the Aero X, you will watch the coupé every time it is disassembled and reassembled. This elaborate choreography lasts about 18 seconds each.
By the way: The name "Aero" is not a coincidence. It is an indication of Saab's corporate roots. The Swedish carmaker has this in aviation. For example, the brand name "Saab" is derived from the words "Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget" (roughly: "Swedish Aviation Company").
Models with canopy doors:
- Saab Aero-X (concept car)
- VW 1L (only the concept car, the production version VW XL1 received butterfly doors)
Dihedral doors:
Koenigsegg: Because money doesn't matter
The Swedish sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg also puts a lot of effort into getting into the car in style. The Swedes themselves give their design the name "Dihedral Synchro-Helix Actuation Door System".
When opened, the doors rotate 90 degrees from the vertical to the horizontal plane and at the same time push forward past the A-pillar during this choreography. Meaning and purpose: the show effect.
The driving performance of the Koenigsegg Jesko sounds unreal. We are more familiar with 1,600 hp for 480 km/h at the top from the Playstation. To ensure that the vehicle, which weighs only 1,320 kilograms, does not take off at top speed, the rear spoiler presses the rear wheels weighing around 1.4 tons onto the asphalt.
Only 125 examples of the Koenigsegg Jesko left the factory hall. If you want one, you have to dig deep into your pockets. Costs: about 3.5 million euros.
Models with dihedral doors:
- Koenigsegg Agera
Top 10 Cars With Curious Doors | Gallery
