Lamborghini has the scissor door, Lincoln popularized the suicide door and Ferrari may soon have a unique door design of its own. Leaked patent drawings from Europe have revealed the Italian automaker is readying a new door design to aid in ingress and egress.
Intended to make it easier to slide in and out of a low-slung supercar, Ferrari’s new door design appears to be a hybrid between a scissor door and a gullwing. However, unlike a typical design, the door continues to the car’s front fender, allowing for a greater space to enter and exit the vehicle.
According to the leaked patent – which surfaced on Autocar – the design is suitable for front, rear or mid-engine vehicles, but was designed with mid-engine cars in mind. The patent also claims the design is “easy and cost-effective to make” when compared to a traditional gullwing system.
The patent didn’t make mention of what vehicle the door system was designed for, but keep an eye out for a vertical-doored Ferrari sometime next decade.
11/20, 5:44 PM
posted by:
NMOFGMs Daddy
You can only design a door in so many ways, after that its all fluff, a door that hinges by the headlights? LOL
11/20, 5:51 PM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
Like seriously, is this a joke? FAIL Ferrari, FAIL!!
11/20, 5:57 PM
posted by:
Smegley Wanxalot
Does anyone ever say “I’m not going to buy a Ferrari because getting in and out sucks” ??
Didn’t think so. This design is a waste of time.
11/20, 6:20 PM
posted by:
DenverGuy217
—– unlike a typical design, the door continues to the car’s front fender, allowing for a greater space to enter and exit the vehicle.—-
Eh? So they’ve eliminating a huge chunk of the dashboard and firewall too? Way cool Ferrari ! Can’t wait to see video of someone opening one of these in a tight parking space
11/20, 6:24 PM
posted by:
reedfast
is that an old jaguar in the patent drawings?
11/20, 6:39 PM
posted by:
2morrowdesign
I think its an Aston Martin-ish drawing in the patent drawings
Looks similar to a mazda RX-7(FD) in proportion as well
11/20, 7:07 PM
posted by:
cocksterS
Definitely looks more like a DB7 than a Ferrari. My favorite door design is still Koenigsegg’s dihedral synchro-helix actuated door.
11/20, 7:22 PM
posted by:
peter g
@****sterS: Alone the phrase ‘dihedral synchro-helix actuated door’ is so cool!
11/20, 7:22 PM
posted by:
zoomzoomer
I believe that is an A-M DB7 in the drawings. So is this actually pivoting upward from a rotating hinge just behind the front wheel? Very odd choice of vehicle to illustrate it on.. maybe this was done on purpose, since it would be quite a bit less ridiculous looking on a F430-type vehicle with dramatically less space from front wheel to windshield.
11/20, 7:39 PM
posted by:
Car Guru
@reedfast and 2morrodesign
No offense, but do you guys know anything about cars? An RX-7? Really? reedfast was closer with the Jaguar guess. The vehicle in the drawing is a 1999-2003 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage. Because both Aston Martin and Jaguar were owned by Ford at the time, some designs got a little too similar to justify the price difference (between, say, the DB7 and the Jaguar XKR).
So go ahead, haters. Keep hating on Ferrari because they are only for the wealthy few. I would love for someone to try to say that Ferrari HASN’T done everything right over the last 20 years or so. Don’t get me wrong – I love the Bugatti’s, the Lamborghini’s, the Aston Martin’s, and the Porsche’s. But there isn’t (has never and will never be) anything on earth like a thoroughbred Ferrari. The F40, F50, then the introduction of the F1 Paddle-Shift Gearbox. The Enzo, the F430, the 599 GTB Fiorano, and now the new 458 Italia. Admit it: Ferrari is at the forefront in every aspect – the design, the technology, and the fun factor.
Just imagine. HOW MANY CARS COME WITH PADDLE SHIFTERS NOW?! Just about every single sports car/sports sedan/expensive car with an automatic transmission has two paddle shifters right behind the steering wheel. That was Ferrari that brought that to the automotive world. How about the new K.E.R.S.?! (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) Ferrari will soon have the (almost) equivalent of nitrous in every street-going car.
But back to this article (lol), HOW MUCH DO YOU GUYS WANNA BET THAT THIS NEW DOOR TECHNOLOGY IS FOR THE ENZO’S REPLACEMENT? Find a couple of good pictures of the Enzo. Take a look at the way the door swings up. Now look at what the door placement is like on the frame.
This replacement is going to blow the doors off the fabled Enzo. I say that it has a Twin-Turbo V8 with the flywheel horsepower and torque around 650 and 490, respectively. The deal-breaker here is that the car is going to probably weigh about 3,000 pounds, have K.E.R.S., and an even further upgraded gearbox. I say dual-clutch semi-automatic 8-speed F1 tranny that can shift in about 30 milliseconds. Any takers?
Car Guru
11/20, 7:47 PM
posted by:
Auto X
That looks so cool i mean seriously that has to be the coolest this that ever…………zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
it’s a door big whoop
11/20, 8:13 PM
posted by:
85ZingoGTR
Sooo like the Enzo then??
11/20, 8:58 PM
posted by:
PhuckFavre
And they’re working on a rounder wheel too…
11/20, 9:49 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
A gimmicky $50 hinge should be a great excuse to jack the price $50k.
11/21, 12:14 AM
posted by:
Cardemon04
+1 for the dihedral synchro-helix actuated doors. I’m still trying to figure out how to install those on my car.
as far as these doors go, I’ll reserve Judgment till actual release.
Denverguy: people with Ferraris dont park in tight parking spots… they pay some Valet to park it with the other expensive cars in the extra wide spots.
11/21, 3:20 AM
posted by:
wyVern
Ferrari staff worked hard to come up with an innovative door design but most ppl here don’t appreciate that, just care about type of car in that sketch !!! comeon guys check the door/hinge design who cares what car they drew…
11/21, 11:54 AM
posted by:
ochy38
how long before we see a $1000 dollar kit built for wicked fast honda civics?
11/21, 1:46 PM
posted by:
Dr.Martens
For some reason it screams shelby gr-1.
11/21, 2:25 PM
posted by:
reedfast
Car Guru, i wasn’t going to pop this little clip out at first, but upon further review, this could be funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc
I hope you don’t take this the wrong way.
11/21, 2:48 PM
posted by:
Dr.Martens
Reedfast,
Greatest Response to a fanboy ever. I’ve been on this site for years, but that reply just takes the cake. 5 stars.
11/21, 4:08 PM
posted by:
reedfast
thankyou
11/21, 6:51 PM
posted by:
status
Why are people angry/critical over a patent sketch? They may never even use this idea, but it’s innovative none the less. Ferrari is not a company to employ a design without function, and depending on the design of the car, this may be the best way to get the doors open. WTH?
11/22, 8:33 AM
posted by:
F50
This seems to be an Aston DB7…. the rear end just screams that.
11/22, 6:17 PM
posted by:
humphrey
It’ll be copied and used by the Chinese before you can say ‘robot mentality’.
11/22, 6:36 PM
posted by:
Pazzo Canguri
reedfast…hahahah…funny….makes me want to reach in a smash that guys head in on that you tube clip….
anyhow i agree with most of car guru….but i love ferrari anyhow…
i wouldnt read to much into this so called leaked photo of ferrari…..in all the years of ferrrari i dont think i can recall (from memory anyhow) any so called LEAKED ferrari documents….sounds like bs to me…but shall see…
11/23, 9:14 PM
posted by:
rarson
Car Guru. Ferrari hasn’t done EVERYTHING right over the last 20 years. No car company has. But I do respect Ferrari and there is a reason why they have been as successful as they are.
I think you’re right about this probably being for the Enzo replacement. It looks like it would be horribly ugly on a DB7 like these pictures show, but I’m sure with the right design, Ferrari could implement these things elegantly.
My one concern is how they intend for the driver to close the door with it being so far away.