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GM plans ’suicide-style’ rear doors for future models

Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show, GM, Opel

Opel Flextreme Concept

For those unfamiliar with the suicide-style rear door, it’s basically a car door with the hinges located closer to the rear of the car, usually on the C-pillar. The design isn’t new, but it recently had a renaissance with cars like the Mazda RX-8 and Rolls-Royce Phantom adopting the unique style.

The rear opening doors will soon be featured on some General Motors products, as revealed by its Vice Chairman Bob Lutz on his blog. GM recently previewed its design, dubbed FlexDoor, on its new Opel Flextreme at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week. Engineers were able to do-away with the center B-pillar, which means opening both doors on a single side of the car leaves one giant opening the size of two doors. This was important because designers learned from focus groups that people, especially those who use child-seats, wanted easier access to the rear compartment.

The Flextreme itself is only a concept and Lutz was coy about when we might see them on a production car, so we suggest you don’t hold your breath.

[GM Fastlane Blog via The GM Source]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertibles, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Geneva Motor Show

The image from the Geneva Motor Show.

After our Geneva-induced jetlag subsided, we were able to take stock of what vehicles struck us as the showstoppers. Some were obvious, while others were more unlikely; the Artega GT remains one of them.

However, when we discovered that the Henrik Fisker-designed podium princess was strictly a shell, lacking a functional drivetrain and interior bits, the wind quickly left our sails. Even worse, according to an article in AutomobilWoche when the GT goes on sale, the Germans will be the only ones able to pick up one of the 500 models produced.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel though. The article states that Artega’s coupe will come equipped with a 3.6-liter VW VR6, complete with a DSG gearbox, and will tip the scales at a paltry 2,400 pounds. Even better: with the backing of Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, formerly of BMW, Maserati and Rolls-Royce, Artega plans on offering a roadster model that will be sold in Asia, the Middle-East and even here in the States.

There’s no word on when we’ll see the next model from the niche manufacturer, but if we had to put money on it, we’d plunk down a twenty-spot for Geneva ‘08.

[Source: AutomobilWoche via Motor Authority]

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