Disappearing Car Door

1. Tom
   December 13th, 2007 at 2:24 pm

   It's cool and all, but can you open and close the door manually, ie without power? If so, then I would go for it, if not, I, for one, don't want to be trapped inside, or stuck with an uncloseble door.

2. xopl
   December 13th, 2007 at 2:46 pm

   as soon as that door deforms in a collision it isn't going to neatly slide under the car.

   but then again, do any car doors open after something smashes into them?

3. Chris
   December 13th, 2007 at 3:14 pm

   there was the BMW Z1 too : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Z1

   hope it's not raining where the buyers live....

4. tinfoil
   December 13th, 2007 at 3:41 pm

   One must wonder what removing the B-pillar does to structural safety of the vehicle. The B-pillar is an integral part of maintaining the passenger compartment during a rollover.

5. Paul
   December 13th, 2007 at 3:55 pm

   This would surely be a boon to caregivers and disabled persons.

6. ben
   December 13th, 2007 at 4:16 pm

   Bicyclists of the world, rejoice!

7. Tara
   December 13th, 2007 at 4:28 pm

   Jeebus. That car would get a lot of heat loss every time it opened the door in winter. No thanks.

8. Chris
   December 13th, 2007 at 4:28 pm

   tinfoil : ask Mercedes to show you the CL550. sleek, with German safety, but no B pillar.

9. tishkbob
   December 13th, 2007 at 4:45 pm

   With all that technology you would think they could find actors that didn't look like extras from a 1985 episode of Dynasty.

10. Pudifoot
    December 13th, 2007 at 5:09 pm

    This is a little better, BUT I STILL WANT MY FLYING CAR!!!! It is almost 2008; what the heck is taking so long?

11. redphone
    December 13th, 2007 at 5:58 pm

    Wonder if that platform can stand kids (and adults) standing or possibly coming down hard on them. Also, manual use is important as someone has already noted.

    What about in a crash, will emergency services be able to pry it open? To a degree, they rely on the ability of a car door to be forced open on it's hinges.

    Fantastic concept, and I hope it survives the safety tests.

12. James
    December 13th, 2007 at 7:59 pm

    There's another issue to consider:

    Twice in the video, the car was still moving (even if in the process of slowing down) when the doors were opening or closing. Doesn't sound like smart engineering to me.

13. DGF
    December 13th, 2007 at 9:06 pm

    "Jeebus. That car would get a lot of heat loss every time it opened the door in winter. No thanks."

    Even a regular door loses a lot of heat. If you can't put up with it, move. I live in a place where a normal winter is -20.

    "hope it’s not raining where the buyers live…."

    Watch the whole video. One design they had didn't effect the clearance from the road to the car, because it gets tucked into its own special compartment.

    "I STILL WANT MY FLYING CAR!!!! It is almost 2008; what the heck is taking so long?"

    Flying cars sound amazing, but man, imagine if the battery dies or the car stalls? At least on the road you can pull over. How are you going to handle flying towards the ground at over 100 mph? lol

14. ted
    December 13th, 2007 at 11:47 pm

    Rain and snow would still get inside the car with the door wide open like that.

    A regular door does lose heat, but in bad weather, you wouldn't be opening your door as wide as that. Also, you can use a normal door to shield the inside (and yourself) from icy cold blasts of wind.

    Also, it's a complete lack of privacy.

15. Vako
    December 14th, 2007 at 12:19 am

    "Good concept, bad idea"...

16. caleb
    December 15th, 2007 at 8:12 pm

    How, I ask, did they get Robin Leech to narrate?

17. Jezebel
    December 21st, 2007 at 10:28 pm

    DUDE wth. I thought it was a joke.

    If you can afford that mod to your car, you can afford to live in a place where it doesn't snow. I wonder how much something like this costs? I can't see everyone running out to get this kind of mod. I'd love to see reactions when you try to have it parked or show up at parties. . . It looks sleek. Can I get this for my 'vette?

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