Model X Falcon Doors

[AnOutsider]

What you might not know is that the feature likely to garner the most initial attention are its unique doors. Specifically, "falcon" doors. While we suspect front passengers will gain entrance to the vehicle in the traditional way, the rear portals will be decidedly different. CEO Elon Musk intimated as much when he recently tweeted, "The most interesting view of the Model X is really with the doors open

Tesla Model X to have ... doors?

 

[AnOutsider]

Looks like the falcon door comment is starting to be noticed: 2014 Tesla Model X: Mysterious “Falcon Doorsâ€￾ May Lift Up, Fold

 

[grisnjam]

Looks like the falcon door comment is starting to be noticed: 2014 Tesla Model X: Mysterious “Falcon Doorsâ€￾ May Lift Up, Fold

Here is my guess:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb6esOkQT6M

 

[vfx]

Here is my guess:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb6esOkQT6M

View attachment 4051

How does that even wet-work?

 

[ETM]

Here is my guess:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb6esOkQT6M

View attachment 4051

now that is something i would love to see. that could be cool on the next gen roadster or the convertible S.

 

[AnOutsider]

Interesting, the effect makes it look like the doors sort of bend and twist as they open, but it seems like they actually just rotate along a track. Definitely cool, though it would probably mess with trunk access.

 

[dpeilow]

It'll be so funny if it's just suicide doors but it's un-PC to call it that.

 

[Norbert]

Don't know if this is practical, but another variation of the doors-on-top-of-the roof kind might be this:

Let's say you are standing in front of the driver's side rear door. When you open it, it first moves a few inches outward (towards you). It is held only by the top-left corner, and swings around this corner to the right side and then upwards. At the same time, or a little later, the point on the top-left corner holding it moves around to the top, such that the axis around which the door swings, which first points towards you, then points upwards, so that the door comes laying length-wise on top of the roof... would require a strong top-left corner, of course.... or, such a door is only on the passenger side, and a plain rear door (or none) on the driver's side. Just a thought...

 

[Fr23shjive]

Anybody else worried that these doors might look cheesy? I hope they're "suicide doors" like somebody said in this thread. I have yet to see a car that has had "falcon doors" and not made it look cheesy.

I have faith in Tesla though. They've got a great track record so far, so I'm not expecting them to disappoint.

 

[AnOutsider]

I have yet to see a car that has had "falcon doors" and not made it look cheesy.

Which cars have you seen with "falcon doors"? We're still trying to define 'em!

 

[JRP3]

Here is my guess:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb6esOkQT6M

View attachment 4051

Better make sure no one is walking behind the car when you open the doors :scared: I'll bet that is not what Tesla is doing.

 

[JRP3]

Anybody else worried that these doors might look cheesy? I hope they're "suicide doors" like somebody said in this thread.

Suicide doors are hardly revolutionary, nor would they look that amazing when opened, as Elon suggested. They also don't act the ways the falcon doors have been described.

 

[ckessel]

Given the space available in the cabin, I'm wondering if the doors slide either up or down into the body of the car. Think of the way a segmented garage door opens and slides flush with the ceiling. Or maybe they raise up like falcon doors, but collapse like a folding fan instead of staying one solid piece. It has to be something more interesting that the standard sliding side door minivans have if they look "amazing" when open.

 

[Fr23shjive]

Which cars have you seen with "falcon doors"? We're still trying to define 'em!

I'm assuming they look something similar to this. Like I said, I could be wrong, but I really hope they're not going with this look. I think Tesla will come through I'm just hoping they don't use that design. We'll see but I'm still a little worried.

 

[JRP3]

Those are gull wing doors. Falcon doors are different, though we aren't exactly sure how they work.

 

[NigelM]

I used to drive one of these....the biggest problem was for anyone without long arms it was difficult to reach up and close the doors. I'm 6' and was just on the limit:

That was in 2005/6, maybe they have power operated doors now?

 

[dpeilow]

Maybe a double hinge, like a more extreme version of the Renault Avantime's door?

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Suicide doors are hardly revolutionary, nor would they look that amazing when opened, as Elon suggested. They also don't act the ways the falcon doors have been described.

Yes, and suicide doors are a bit of a pain for passengers to open from the inside (my wife's Mini Clubman has such a so-called 'Club' door).

 

[Norbert]

I think I see what's going on. Try this exercise to see if it makes sense:

• Hold your right hand out in front of you, thumb up. This represents is the driver-side door.
• Put the tip of your index finger in the pad of your thumb. This is the pivot joint for the door.
• Rotate your right hand counter-clockwise, without moving your left index finger, so that your right finger tips are tracing a circle. Your hand will naturally rotate to the horizontal and slide over the empty space forward of your left index finger (which is where the car's chassis would be.

Obviously, the left and right doors will have to be slightly asymmetric so that one fits in above the other (or, perhaps, only one door can be open at a time?). This doesn't explain the "fold" part of the quote, however.

I was assuming that you meant something different than I meant here:

Don't know if this is practical, but another variation of the doors-on-top-of-the roof kind might be this:

Let's say you are standing in front of the driver's side rear door. When you open it, it first moves a few inches outward (towards you). It is held only by the top-left corner, and swings around this corner to the right side and then upwards. At the same time, or a little later, the point on the top-left corner holding it moves around to the top, such that the axis around which the door swings, which first points towards you, then points upwards, so that the door comes laying length-wise on top of the roof... would require a strong top-left corner, of course.... or, such a door is only on the passenger side, and a plain rear door (or none) on the driver's side. Just a thought...

But I'm not actually sure what you meant exactly...

 

[vfx]

.... It has to be something more interesting that the standard sliding side door minivans have if they look "amazing" when open.

Remember the (as yet unseen) description of the Model S charge port door?