Summary
- Vertical-opening doors, known as Lamborghini doors, have become a symbol of wealth and status in the automotive world. They add luxury and exclusivity to any vehicle, and there is a growing market for customizing cars with these doors.
- The C8 Chevy Corvette, with its mid-engine layout and sleek design, has drawn comparisons to foreign supercars. The addition of vertical doors would further enhance its exotic appeal.
- Converting horizontal-opening doors to vertical-opening doors is a complex and expensive process, but it can be done through professional installation or with DIY conversion kits. Vertical doors offer benefits such as easy entry and exit in tight spaces, but they come with a high price tag and potential risks.
Known by many names, including Lamborghini doors, scissor doors, and switchblade doors, among others, the vertical-opening door design is eye-catching, and in some cases practical, alternative to traditional horizontal-opening doors. The vertical door has roots in 1960s Italian concept car design and has successfully made its way into modern automotive design as well as pop culture.
References from popular artists, musicians, and television have skyrocketed the vertical door’s notoriety about wealth and status, making it a mainstay in the high-dollar arena. Although this unique style is commonly found in pricey foreign cars, there is a booming market for scissor doors on custom vehicles. This has led to various custom shops offering kits that convert conventional horizontal-opening doors to vertical-opening doors. This upgrade immediately adds a layer of luxury and exclusivity to your vehicle.
The C8 Corvette, introduced in 2020, has been on the warpath since its debut, scoring top commendations and accolades along the way. The eight-generation Chevy Corvette has a list of “firsts” to its name, most notably its switch to a mid-engine layout. This transformation not only enhanced the ‘ Vette’s performance, it also changed its appearance. The C8’s design appears more like a foreign supercar rather than the classic American cruiser. The vertical-opening door and C8 Corvette may be a match made in exotic car heaven.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Chevrolet, GM Authority, Vertical Doors Inc., FCA Heritage, and Phastek Performance.
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The C8 Corvette Is An Impressive Sports Car Out Of The Box
The eighth generation of America’s sweetheart sports car has pushed the limits at a time when other brands are playing it safe. The calculated risks taken by GM to keep the Corvette at the helm of performance and popularity have paid off tremendously, as the C8 is among the most awarded sports cars in recent history. The switch to a mid-engine layout opened many doors for the Corvette engineers, one of them being better weight distribution and enhanced performance.
Another big change was the overall appearance of the C8. When it hit the market in 2020, it looked more like a Ferrari or McLaren than a Corvette. This divided the Corvette community, as purists adored the classic American sports car look, while others welcomed the sleek, futuristic re-design. No matter which side of the argument you stand on, everyone agrees that the C8 has undoubtedly launched the Corvette to new heights thanks to the advancements employed in its design.
Sleek Design Meets American Power
Corvettes are known for having the most capable engines, considering the LS and LT lineage with two potent powertrains currently on offer on the base Stingray and Z06 variants.
2024 C8 Corvette Stingray Performance
|
Vehicle |
C8 Corvette Stingray |
C8 Corvette Z06 |
|---|---|---|
|
Engine |
NA V-8 |
NA V-8 |
|
Displacement |
6.2 liters |
5.5 liters |
|
Power |
495 HP |
670 HP |
|
Torque |
470 LB-FT |
460 LB-FT |
|
Transmission |
Eight-speed dual-clutch |
Eight-speed dual-clutch |
(Source: Chevrolet)
The stout powertrain isn’t the only thing keeping the Corvette in the conversation, as the mid-engine layout changed the science of the Corvette. The re-design employs advanced aerodynamic elements, giving each contour a purpose and making sure no curve is wasted. Pairing the stealthy aero design with superior weight distribution creates a balance akin to Ferrari and Lamborghini.
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Corvette With Vertical Doors: A Labor Of Luxury And Status
Converting traditional horizontal-opening doors to vertical-opening doors isn’t an easy, or cheap, process. It requires delicate and experienced hands to complete the conversion correctly and without damaging the expensive vehicle or hinge components. This could run you anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on the Corvette model and the required labor. Though you can buy a vertical door conversion kit online for less money, it’s always recommended that a professional installs any hardware, as part failure is never a good thing.
How The Vertical Door Corvette Conversion Is Done
To begin the tedious process, experts first tape off the work areas with work-grade masking tape to protect against any damage. Next, the team meticulously removes the exterior body and protective panels surrounding the door hinge components, which requires a lot of hard-to-reach screws. The tedious process also requires the team to gut the interior door panels, as well as the exterior panels. This finally grants them access to the inner workings of the Vette.
Once the Corvette is stripped, so to speak, the conversion begins. The team removes the horizontal door hinges and sets aside the surrounding electrical wiring, careful not to damage anything. Lots of measuring and re-shaping goes into calibrating the dimensions correctly so that the door opens and closes smoothly. Once proper dimensions are achieved, the team proceeds to install the vertical door hinges and replace the exterior and interior panels. If all goes well, you’ll have a striking addition to your sleek American sports car.
Vertical Door Suppliers
Several companies offer vertical door conversion kits, some even offer to come to your home and install them in your garage. Of course, this will add to the total cost. Yet, providers are confident the price is worth it, considering very few people, let alone Corvette owners, can swing their doors open like a 1980s Lambo.
Providers including Vertical Doors Inc., Phastek Performance, Paragon Performance, and West Coast Corvette offer vertical conversion kits. Veritcal Doors Inc. offers at-home installation and has an entire YouTube channel documenting their stellar work. They are among a growing field of specialists honing their conversion skills, as the trend trickles over to common vehicles, trucks, classic cars, and SUVs.
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History Of The Vertical-Opening Door
The vertical doors were created out of necessity, as they posed a solution to the problem of low visibility in performance cars. The design made its debut on the 1968 Alpha Romeo Carabo concept car by legendary designer Marcello Gandini as a way to properly reverse the sleek sports car since there was no clear line of sight through the rearview window. It provided a unique and intriguing appearance. It’s no surprise Gandini carried the idea over to his later Lamborghini designs.
The vertical-opening doors made their first production debut on the Lamborghini Countach. The Countach is another gem by Marcello Gandini that introduced his iconic automotive design to the mainstream audience. The vertical doors were a brand-defining feature, as they are now commonly referred to as “Lambo doors”. The Lambo doors indeed reappeared on various future Italian Stallions, including the Diablo, Murcielago, and Reventon.
Perks Of Vertical-Opening Doors
Vertical doors offer a few benefits by design, including a smaller wingspan. This advantage allows for easy entry and exit in tight parking situations, as well as safer exit on busy streets. It can also provide a line of sight if the rearview window is obstructed, as it did for the Carabo and Lamborghini Countach in the 60s and 70s, respectively.
There are some downsides to having your doors open 90 degrees vertically. Among them, is the fact that if the parking area’s roof is too low, you could ram the door against the ceiling. A risk that could potentially damage the entire dynamic of the vertical door, rendering it unable to open and close properly.
There’s also the issue of the high cost of acquiring such a luxury. Vertical doors are found on expensive supercars, and though one could buy the conversion kit and have vertical doors on their daily driver, this also costs a pretty penny. In short, the exclusivity of scissor doors doesn’t come cheap.
Other Production Cars With Vertical-Opening Doors
Though the trend started with and gained fame from Lamborghini, it eventually trickled over to other sports car manufacturers, as the intriguing appearance fit the futuristic style of foreign supercars. This list includes past and present models, including the Ferrari LaFerrari, Spyker C8, McLaren P1, and Hennessey Venom GT2. Though these models don’t feature the same Lambo-style vertical path, they all, indeed, open vertically. Models like the Ferrari employ the butterfly-style vertical path, while some Koenigsegg models use a specially designed hinge that rotates the door further than the Lamborghini’s hinge.
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