Before we get started with today's list, there are a few key components to analyze first. There's an endless amount of different door designs on cars, some are more focused on details than others. Some argue that the Koenigsegg Jesko features scissor doors, but on further inspection, you'd see that they operate slightly differently. Koenigsegg calls these dihedral synchro-helix doors. Next up we have gullwing doors, and these we can observe on cars like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Furthermore, we have some scarce doors like swan doors found on Aston Martins, canopy doors seen on concept cars, and suicide doors popularized by Rolls-Royce, and even Ferrari had their own take on it with their new Purosangue SUV.
Now that we've gone over some of the most common uncommon doors found in the auto industry, it's time to look at the two behemoths: The scissor-doored and butterfly-doored cars. Scissor doors are self-explanatory as they open vertically with little to no outward angle. Butterfly doors on the other hand fold open towards the sky and expand like a butterfly's wings. Today we'll have a look at some of the coolest cars with butterfly- and scissor doors.
10 (Scissor Doors) Lamborghini Countach
Lamborghini is arguably single-handedly the one responsible for the scissor door design's success. Sure, it might not have been the most practical if you parked in a low-slung garage, but sometimes it's painful to be beautiful.
The original Lamborghini Countach made such a memorable impression on audiences back in the day with its angular design and ghastly V12 scream that Lamborghini decided to revive the Countach name in 2021. That said, this won't be the only Lambo on our list today.
9 (Butterfly Doors) Ferrari Enzo
Now, this was a tough decision. On the one hand, you have the quintessential Enzo named after Ferrari's founder, and on the other, you have one of the most insane hybrid hypercars ever, the LaFerrari. We decided to go with the Enzo just because of its importance in the automotive world.
Not only was it the first Ferrari to feature butterfly doors, but it also had an exquisite-sounding 650-hp naturally-aspirated 6.0-liter V12 hiding underneath its bodywork. Whether you prefer the LaFerrari to the Enzo is of no importance; both are equally dashing and exotic.
8 (Scissor Doors) Lamborghini AventadorJ
Just like we had a tough time choosing between the LaFerrari and Enzo, we also had a tough time choosing between all the different Aventador models. Sure, we could have gone with the latest and greatest Aventador SVJ, but then again, there is something slightly more special, and it has no roof.
It's called the Aventador J, and was identical to all other Aventadors, except for it being topless of course. If you've never seen one of these in person, we wouldn't be surprised as only one of these was ever made and sold for a whopping $2.8 million. And yes, the Aventador J is road-legal.
7 (Butterfly Doors) McLaren P1
The McLaren P1 stood alongside the LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder to form the holy trinity as we know them today. Everything about this hypercar was over-the-top; from its styling to its technology, and of course, its doors.
The P1 engulfed a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged hybrid-assisted V8 engine that produced more than 900 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. And since it had a curb weight of fewer than 3,300 lbs, the P1 could accelerate to 60 mph from a stop in just 2.8 seconds, and topped out at 217 mph.
6 (Scissor Doors) Vector W8
The Vector W8 is an American-built supercar that was way ahead of its time. Not only did it look like it came from the future, but its power figures left everyone with the same impression as well.
The twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V8 that nested behind the driver's head was mated to a 3-speed automatic gearbox and churned out 625 hp and 649 lb-ft of torque. As a result, the Vector W8 could do 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed of almost 220 mph.
5 (Butterfly Doors) McLaren F1
There is a gigantic cult following behind the McLaren F1, and rightfully so too. To this day, the McLaren F1 remains the fastest naturally-aspirated production car ever with a top speed of 240.1 mph.
This naturally-aspirated powerhouse was a BMW-built 6.1-liter V12 that generated 618 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. On top of that, it also had an extravagant design and a unique three-seat layout on the inside. If that doesn't garner its elite status or the fact that Mr. Bean himself owned one, we don't know what will.
4 (Scissor Doors) Bugatti EB110
Nowadays, Bugatti is only known for their modern creations like the Veyron and the Chiron, but we often forget about the one that started it all, the EB110. Sure, it might not have featured a W16 motor like its successors, but the EB110 did have a mighty powertrain.
This power plant in particular was a 3.5-liter V12 that had four turbochargers strapped onto it. As a result, the EB110 produced 553 hp and 451 lb-ft of torque. Subsequently, a Super Sport version of the EB110 would make its appearance too, and pump out more than 600 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. The EB110 was also the last Bugatti to feature scissor doors.
3 (Butterfly Doors) Volkswagen XL1
Didn't think a Volkswagen would triumph itself a spot on our list, did you? See, the Volkswagen XL1 isn't your ordinary VW, apart from on paper of course. The XL1 sported a diesel-fed 800cc turbocharged two-cylinder engine. Lucky for VW, this powertrain received some assistance from an electric motor too.
Overall, the XL1 had 68 hp and 100 lb-ft of torque. As you could have guessed, the XL1 was far from being a sports car, it could only reach 60mph from a stop in about 12 seconds after all. It did look cool though...
2 (Scissor Doors) Mitsuoka Orochi
From lesser-known car models, we jump over to entire unknown car brands. Mitsuoka is a Japanese carmaker that builds... well it's difficult to put a name on exactly who their target is. Regardless, one of their most noteworthy cars is the Orochi.
It's definitely today's ugly duckling, but there is something undoubtedly cool about the Orochi too. It's an obscure Japanese sports car that's powered by a 3.3-liter Toyota-derived V6 engine and looks like a hypercar.
1 (Butterfly Doors) BMW i8
The BMW i8 is arguably BMW's last attractive-looking piece of automotive ingenuity to date - not pointing fingers at the XM of course. Although the i8 was slow, and it inhabited a hybrid-assisted powertrain, its exotic styling made us turn a blind eye.
There have been Beemers with more perplexing door designs than the i8 - just look at the retro Z1 for example with its disappearing doors. Regardless thereof, the BMW i8 will go down in history as one of the sexiest BMWs, if not cars of all time.