Very cool idea!

Nice denali seats. :D
couple things......with no real structure to them, how safe are they? side imppacts are now much more dangerous due to the B pillar fucking off..... also, how yah gonna open that door when the bottom of your car is covered with snow? will it still work? Really cool idea though! well, except for the GM seats. :D
 
They talk about it being stronger than before - partially due to the belly pan and stiffer floor and then they talk about the door "re-integrating" into the structure when it's closed. I don't see that, but they say it'll pass side impact tests.

Snow? They roll into the belly pan. AS long as the door to that can swing out, should be no problem..... Ice, might be an issue..

Check the slideshow they have - lots more detail.
 
But you see what I mean, right? If it is covered in snow you will shave a little snow drift under the door each time you open it. :D
 
Pretty neat...for now. Can't you just envision all the Hondas blasting around town with disappearing doors?
Lambo doors, move over. There's a new tacky trick in town.



Wonder how much floor space the car gives up?
 
restoman said:
Pretty neat...for now. Can't you just envision all the Hondas blasting around town with disappearing doors?
Lambo doors, move over. There's a new tacky trick in town.



Wonder how much floor space the car gives up?
Click to expand...

Ground clearance? Most of the little wantabees have 0 clearance now. I saw a guy pull into a neighbour's driveway over the curb rain gutter and he got hung up while it was raining. Couldn't move forward and couldn't back up. Poor little Portuguees kid had to get his buddies to push him off. It was worth a big laugh cause I can't stand the little bugger or the neighbours kid. :shifty:
 
The doors don't go under the car, though.

They go in to a belly pan under the floor and behind the rocker panels.

The arhitecture of the car is completely different to accommodate this.

If you go throught the slideshow, you'll see.
http://www.disappearing-car-door.co...deshow.php?directory=pics&auto=1&currentPic=1

It definitely requires the floor to be higher up in relation to the ground. So, this is not something that is going to work on every car.

And if you look at the chassis pictures on slide 7, you can see this is not something that they intend for bolt-on application. There is some extensive chassis modification.

I think they did those cars just to prove the concept. Their ultimate market will be new car models that have these designed in...
 
I think it's a neat concept, but unless a major manufacturer picks it up, don't expect it to catch on... it's gotta be pricey as hell. I assume they've worked out the frameless side glass, but as anyone who's got a car with that setup can tell you, after a couple of years the air leaks will drive you insane unless you keep after 'em... and it's bad enough buying OEM or aftermarket weatherstrips; I bet theirs are pricey being prorprietary.

I imagine the width of the car is an issue, too... will my doors bang into each other under the car?

So do I have to buy a Lincoln Mark VIII and install GM seats? I mean, last I checked, headlights for that car were only replaceable as modules, and were over $800 each.
 
Dr.Jass said:
I think it's a neat concept, but unless a major manufacturer picks it up, don't expect it to catch on... it's gotta be pricey as hell. I assume they've worked out the frameless side glass, but as anyone who's got a car with that setup can tell you, after a couple of years the air leaks will drive you insane unless you keep after 'em... and it's bad enough buying OEM or aftermarket weatherstrips; I bet theirs are pricey being prorprietary.

I imagine the width of the car is an issue, too... will my doors bang into each other under the car?

So do I have to buy a Lincoln Mark VIII and install GM seats? I mean, last I checked, headlights for that car were only replaceable as modules, and were over $800 each.
Click to expand...

Their goal is exactly that: a new car designed around their idea - which includes the new approach to the chassis design.

Like I say: I don't think they are interested in modifying existing platforms for this feature. I think they did it to be able to show the concept. Maybe they DID originally intend it for a mod, but probalby realized all of the issues brought up by you guys and changed gears to focus on getting a manufacturer to pick up the whole idea: chassis concept included.

If you go through that slide deck they show more concept car designs than anything else.
 
the only way to make it "work" as a retro fit onto other cars would be to slimline the hell out of doors.....my lloyd doors would work being there less than 3 inches thick at the widest point LOL

and i have to agree with doc here.."full" frameless windows SUCK!!!! as much as i love the look there problematic POS...now if you have a wing window or a partial front frmae the problem goes away almost entirely

overall the "hideing door" design has been rehased half a dozen times...half doors that slide into themselves for a "roadster" feel to them...doors thar slide back into the rear quarts and now this......i think trying to slide them under the car is well...pointless ..ground clearance plus the need to realy raise the interior height is going to make for a truck feel in the lowwest of cars...then therse the width required ...RWD is almost completly not posible..where ya going to run an exhaust pipe for that matter?...rear engine RWD would be the only logical way to go so that you dont have to make room for exhaust pipes shift linkages/cables ect ect ect
 
You're right on with regards to raising the interior floor, but exhaust and drive shaft, etc. would all run below the belly pan just like it does on cars today.
They show that they can put the belly pan in and not affect the ground clearance of the car - so everything that hangs under the car today would hang in the same places with these doors.
The major difference is now everyhting inside is raised up a few inches.
That would be a definite problem in a sunroof car - I can't sit in my wife's truck without my hair rubbing the headliner. In a non sunroof car, it's not as much of a big deal for me, but it might be with these doors.
That's another reason why I think they are going after newly designed cars rather than retro-fitting existing cars. Clearly, as we've all pointed, out this would work on only certain vehicles.
 
probably also only work for owner under 5'8

reason i brought up the underbelly stuff is that not "all" cars have everything just "hanging" but have a moulded floor around alot of this stuff...wich would mean the need to raise the floor an aditional couple inches
 
I see a problem with the belly pan thing. That would be that someone my size (6’6) would never drive it. The cars now don't have enough head room. My melon rubes the head liner in damn near every car I get in and if it has a sunroof forget it. My head hits the roof in every car or SUV with a sunroof now.

As it is I must lean the seat back so far that my arms are fully extended out to the steering wheel just so I have head room and leg room.
 
Stretchers, you now have a perfect excuse to buy a BMW or Mercedes now. :D Ever one of them I have sat in appears to have been built with Basketball players in mind.....never seen anything like em. Course, I am only 6'3"......even my Escalade allows for a good 4 inches over my head, sitting in a normal upright position. It has a sunroof. I do know what you are saying though, so many cars have little headroom for taller guys.
Does Germany HAVE a basketball team? :D
 
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