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Here Are 11 Different Car Door Types You Need To Know, From Suicide To Scissor Doors
Here are 11 different car door types you need to know, from suicide to scissors doors to sliding and canopy doors.
All the current and even past models from Rolls-Royce differentiate themselves not only on luxury features but also with their distinctive doors designed to allow wealthy rear-seat passengers to enter and exit the car gracefully.
Like Rolls-Royce Motors, some automakers also have models in the market with non-conventional car doors, including the scissor and sliding doors found on the Lamborghini Aventador and the new Toyota Century SUV respectively.
Below are eleven (11) different car door types you need to know, from suicide doors to scissor doors.
1) Conventional (Regular) Doors
A conventional door, also known as a regular door is a type of door that is hinged at the front-facing edge of the door. The system allows the door to swing outward from the body of the car.
Models using the conventional doors are Mercedes-Benz G-Class and S-Class, Toyota RAV4, Audi R8 and BMW 7-Series sedan.
2) Scissor (Lamborghini) Doors
Lamborghini Aventador
Lamborghini Revuelto
Like conventional doors, scissor doors, also known as Lamborghini doors, uses a typical hinge mounted at the front of the door. But instead of moving outwards, they rotate vertically at a fixed hinge at the front of the door.
Scissor doors can be seen on Lamborghini models like Countach, Aventador, Diablo, Murcielago and Reventon as well as Spyker C8 and C12 Zagato and the iconic Bugatti EB110 sports car.
3) Butterfly Doors
McLaren F1
Bugatti Atlantic
Similar to scissor doors, the butterfly system allows the doors to move outwards and then up, which indeed improves the access.
Models using butterfly doors are Toyota Sera, Ferrari Enzo Ferrari, Saleen S7, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, McLaren F1 and Bugatti Atlantic concept.
4) Suicide Doors (or Coach Doors)
Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition
Rolls-Royce Phantom 8
Unlike conventional doors that are attached to the front, Suicide Doors (or Coach Doors) are hinged from the rear end of the door, which means they open in the opposite direction.
Of course, cars that to comes to mind when suicide doors are mentioned include Rolls-Royce models like Phantom, Wraith as well as Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition.
5) Gullwing Doors
DeLorean DMC-12
Pioneered by the iconic 1950s Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and useful in tight parking space, the Gullwing doors are actually hinged at the roof and open upwards.
Among the models that relied on upward-opening gullwing doors are the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Gumpert Apollo, DeLorean DMC-12 and Pagani Huayra.
6) Falcon Wing Doors
Tesla Model X
The Falcon Wing Doors, first seen in Tesla Model X, is a more practical type of Gullwing Doors with double-hinged which allows them to open with less clearance than would otherwise be required.
Unlike the Gullwing Doors, the falcon wing doors are equipped with several sensors that allows them to adjust their outward and upward movement to avoid contacting objects.
7) Sliding Doors
Mostly mounted on or suspended from a track, sliding doors are designed to slide along the side of the vehicle like the common type first seen in the Volkswagen Type 2 vans.
They are mostly seen on minivans like Chrysler Voyager and Kia Sedona as well as the recently revealed Toyota Century SUV, though as an option.
8) Canopy Doors
Sterling Nova
Saab Aero-X
A canopy is a car door type that sits on top of a car and lifts up in some way, to provide access for passengers.
Cars using the rarely used type of door include the Saab Aero-X and Sterling Nova and the KR175 (renamed Messerschmitt KR200), the latter, the first to have a canopy.
9) Dihedral Doors
Koenigsegg Gemera
Koenigsegg CC8S
Designed and developed by Christian von Koenigsegg, Dihedral Door system allows the doors to rotate 90° by sweeping outwards and upwards at the hinge.
First fitted to the Koenigsegg CC8S (2002–2003), Dihedral Doors are also used on Koenigsegg models like Agera, Gemera and the Regera as well as Peugeot HR1 concept.
10) Swan Doors
Aston Martin Rapide
Swan doors open outward like the conventional car doors, but they open at an upward angle for better ground clearance.
This door can be seen on Aston Martin DB9 and Rapide, limited-edition Hennessey Venom GT as well as concept cars like Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 and EXP 12 Speed 6e, and Lamborghini Asterion.
11) Front Hinged door
BMW Isetta 600
The not so popular Front Hinged door is fitted on the entire front end of the two-seater BMW Isetta 600 and it hinges outwards to allow entry.
Isetta 600, an Italian-designed microcar became known as a bubble car because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows.
So, which car door type do you prefer and why?
