It is not a style thing for gullwing doors, rather. They are a forward-looking approach to automotive design. The way their doors go up resembles birds launching from their wings or spacecraft doors blowing open wide, instantly lending a car adrenaline and refinement. They have thus been brought to the limelight; symbols of cutting edge technology, lavish luxury, and cutting edge design in the 1950s Mercedes Benz 300 SL, these doors emerge as icons that change as each new model is created.
Modern designers are redefining gullwing doors to equip them on cars’ sides and to use lattice-style entrance designs on hypercars, electric SUVs, and concept cars. These doors are distinctive enough to feature on the cutting edge of hypercars, progressive concept models, and green electric SUVs, demonstrating the need to push fundamental boundaries in design.
Some of the most memorable instances of the gullwing door’s lasting appeal are illustrated by the Tesla Model X’s breathtaking “falcon-wing” doors, as well as by the BackBack to the Future DeLorean DMC-12, that are simply a quintessence of how peculiarly such doors enthrall Automakers like Pagani and Apollo are constantly creating new things; adding gullwing doors to make them unique and otherworldly works of automotive art.
The gullwing doors are not just a part of the design. Such doors are meant to make a bold statement, allow convenient driver access, demonstrate groundbreaking engineering, and endow high-performance cars with an impossible-not-to-notice dramatic appeal. Some of these cars are staggeringly rare, while others are how it should be when you combine a sophisticated style with cutting-edge technology.
Among the ten, you’ll see gullwing doors that make these cars sci-fi fantasy showpieces as if they rose from another world. These are cars designed to impress, far beyond basic machines – they’re shown to be almost works of automotive art. Historic classics and up-and-coming electric conceptions are represented in the world of FMV with vehicles with unique data, performance, and exclusive attributes that truly make them one of a kind. You’ll take a ride of your life — these things defy gravity!
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#1. Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (1954–1957)
- Why It’s Insane: The original icon started it all.
- Engine: 3.0L Inline-6
- Horsepower: 215 hp
- Top Speed: 163 mph
- Doors: Iconic upward-opening gullwing
- Price Today (Estimated): $1 million+
- Highlight: First production car with gullwing doors; lightweight tubular frame made traditional doors impossible.
The Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing goes beyond being simply a vehicle; it is an automotive legend. Debuted in 1954, this car was the first production piece to feature gullwing doors, making it stand out with radiance to defy the times. Beneath it all, the body boasted a sleek, curvaceous line beneath which rested a 3.0-liter inline-6 engine developing 215 horsepower and making the 300SL Gullwing go a breathtaking 163 mph, an automotive role model of the time.
The practical use of the gullwing doors was to support the car’s design. The gullwing doors were brilliantly engineered to get around the car’s tubular space frame’s problem of being too tall on the sides for a standard door. As a precious collector’s car, the 300SL Gullwing sold for over $1 million at an auction today. The design of the vehicle influenced all models of gullwings that followed.
#2. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (2010–2014)
- Why It’s Insane: A modern nod to the 300SL, but with monstrous power.
- Engine: 6.2L V8
- Horsepower: 563 hp
- 0–60 mph: 3.7 seconds
- Top Speed: 197 mph
- Highlight: Hand-built AMG engine and dramatic gullwing design blend modern aggression with heritage.
This new concoction of an ’80s SLS AMG is a true wonder that does nothing short of revolutionary homage to the vintage 300SL Gullwing. Retro flair and cutting-edge performance are combined uniquely in the SLS AMG’s long hood and short rear deck, the instantly recognizable upward-swinging doors. Beneath the hood lies a handcrafted 6.2L naturally aspirated V8 engine from AMG, coming in at a mighty 563 hp.
Creeping from a dead stop, it gets up to 60 mph in a mere 3.7 seconds, with a top speed earning you a speeding ticket of 197 mph. The SLS is nothing short of pure exclusivity in its details; the aluminum space frame is supported by suspension with motorsport performance in mind. The SLS AMG is an almost unique specimen of a grand tourer; it combines hold on tradition with the raw power of the supercars of the current era.
#3. Tesla Model X (With Falcon Wing Doors)
- Why It’s Insane: EV luxury SUV meets sci-fi level automation.
- Powertrain: Dual Motor AWD (or Tri-Motor in Plaid)
- Horsepower: Up to 1,020 hp (Plaid)
- Range: 348 miles (EPA)
- Doors: Dual rear falcon-wing doors
- Highlight: Doors use sensors to open in tight spaces—almost like they have a mind of their own.
The Tesla Model X not only revolutionizes the SUV landscape but does so allegorically through considerations of sleek, cutting-edge design and those of its iconic falcon-wing doors, the coming of its novel classic having been thoroughly noted. Unlike standard gullwing doors, these dual-hinged units open upwards and swing backwards using the sophisticated ultrasonic sensors, thus regulating their exact opening. The result? This is without much fuss, to and from, irrespective of the cramped parking places.
Underneath its exterior, the Model X comes purely electrically with the Dual Motor AWD or the astonishing Plaid model with up to 1,020 horsepower. It has rapid acceleration comparable to supercars, has an EPA estimated mileage of 348 miles, all the space needed for up to seven in advanced comfort, and is technologically advanced. Not only as a technology-enabling SUV, Model X foretells us of a world where everything is driven by autonomy and electricity, carriages that breathe with state-of-the-art technology.
#4. DeLorean DMC-12 (1981–1983)
- Why It’s Insane: The Back to the Future time machine with doors to match.
- Engine: 2.85L V6
- Horsepower: 130 hp
- Top Speed: 110 mph
- Highlight: Stainless steel body and gullwing doors made it an ’80s legend despite modest performance.
The DeLorean DMC-12’s appeal is not to be found in the top speed it could reach, but in its instantly familiar design and continued celebrity status in popular culture. The 2.85L V6 engine that promised 130 horsepower made the DMC-12 struggle to accomplish more than 110 mph in top speed. However, its unusual looks far exceeded its speed potential.
Apart from its distinct brushed stainless steel bodies and classic gullwing doors, the car stood out from every other car on the road. Because of its appearance in the Back to the Future movies, the DeLorean became a legendary symbol of a time-traveling car. Although much time has passed, it is still highly regarded for the innovativeness, inventiveness, and otherworldliness of its design of the 1980s.
#5. Apollo Intensa Emozione (IE)
- Why It’s Insane: Looks like it escaped from an alien racetrack.
- Engine: 6.3L naturally aspirated V12
- Horsepower: 780 hp
- 0–60 mph: 2.7 seconds
- Top Speed: 208+ mph
- Highlight: Wild bodywork and gullwing doors that open like mechanical wings.
Apollo Intensa Emozione (IE) has a somewhat alien franchise-designed appearance and a driving performance that reverberates with that naked otherness. Synonymous with this hypercar is its razor-sharp and aerodynamic looks filled with massive aero pieces and gullwing doors that open in the manner of a kinetic propeller straight out of a sci-fi spectacular.
Within IE lurks a naturally aspirated 6.3-liter V12 that pumps out a thrilling 780 horsepower and pushes the car from standstill to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and past 208 mph. Being essentially carbon fiber, it is a hypercar with raw driving dynamics, no turbos, and no hybrids to give the best driving experience. In the waves of production models, these 10 units highlight the IE’s rarity and unmatched visual audacity, and make it one of the gullwing legends.
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#6. Pagani Huayra (Select Versions)
- Why It’s Insane: Italian artistry meets science fiction.
- Engine: 6.0L twin-turbo V12 (AMG-sourced)
- Horsepower: 730 hp+
- Top Speed: 238 mph
- Highlight: Gullwing doors paired with exposed carbon fiber and active aerodynamics.
Pagani Huayra is an automobile that elegantly combines exquisite Italian sensibility with a space-aged look. With a tireless commitment to a frenzy of attention to detail, the Huayra offers gullwing doors folding to an interior with visible carbon fiber, subdued aluminum, and flashes of precise mechanical splendor. Under its aerodynamic wrapper hides a custom-made, 6.0-liter twin-turbo V-12 engine, which draws its power from AMG and delivers over 730-plus horsepower.
Although the Huayra seems to be otherworldly looking, it’s a speed machine with a top velocity of 238 mph and an impressive active aerodynamics system that maximizes speed in real-time. Both at rest and in action, the Huayra is exceptional. Produced in limited numbers and at jaw-dropping prices, the Huayra combines performance, visual breakthrough, and state-of-the-art chic.
#7. Aston Martin Bulldog (1979 Prototype)
- Why It’s Insane: A rare wedge-shaped masterpiece with gullwing doors.
- Engine: 5.3L twin-turbo V8
- Horsepower: 600+ hp
- Top Speed (claimed): 237 mph
- Highlight: Only one ever made, recently restored, and brought back to life.
The Aston Martin Bulldog prototype is distinctive in that its design has given rise to comparisons with futuristic spy cars. This wedge-shaped supercar, built in the late 70’s, had gullwing doors and a game-changing design that beat its time. Under the narrow lines, a 5.3-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine produces a surprising value of over 600 horsepower. Aston Martin brags that Bulldog could reach a maximum speed of 237 mph, an unheard-of speed at the time.
Although it was never a real car, the Bulldog is a masterpiece of automotive futurism, which is something that is regarded as a rare and audacious concept ever imagined. And not long ago, the first unique prototype was restored, bringing back the charm and allure of this groundbreaking, alien-inspired supercar. In essence, it is heralded as a rare, visionary ambition in the world of automotive design.
#8. Bertone Stratos HF Zero (1970 Concept)
- Why It’s Insane: It doesn’t even look like a car—it looks like a spaceship.
- Engine: 1.6L Lancia V4
- Horsepower: 115 hp
- Highlight: Technically gullwing in function—entire windshield and roof lift; doors are nonexistent.
- Status: Concept only
The Bertone Stratos HF Zero is more than a road-going machine, more of a futuristic work of art. In an avant-garde concept full of curious appeal, a new possibility for automotive design was presented in a sleek wedge, 33 inches lower in height, thanks to a visionary approach for Bertone under Marcello Gandini’s tutelage. A break with conventional patterns, the entirety of the roof and windshield rise as one as a canopy, like iconic gullwing doors, but with a truly otherworldly twist.
Under its hood lives a Lancia V4 engine, which is 1.6 liters and 115 horsepower, but the performance is not a priority. And the concept car, which was never put into production, was only a design aspiration, but its impact on the line of subsequent concept cars is beyond doubt. The peculiar structure upon which it is based makes it one of the more unconventional vehicles ever built.
#9. Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR (2020 Concept)
- Why It’s Insane: Inspired by **Avatar**, and it shows.
- Powertrain: Electric (concept specs undisclosed)
- Highlight: Biometric control, bionic flaps, and glowing gullwing-style doors that blend into nature.
- Doors: Transparent, gullwing-like shell opens vertically
- Status: Concept only
Unlike just a car, the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR also looks like an organism. Following inspiration from James Cameron’s Avatar, this idea brings together the concept of man, machine, and nature in an unusual creature-inspired design. The gullwing doors slit upward as if undulating and are clear, glistening. The vehicle’s architecture is fitted with dynamic bionic flaps that act together with other forces of aerodynamics for communication and functionality needs, accompanied by a cabin that is responsive to biometric inputs of the driver.
Although precise technical details are not disclosed, the concept relies entirely on electricity and exploits the potential of graphene-based organic batteries. While speed shouldn’t be what it focuses on, the Vision AVTR wants to redefine our relationship with technology. It looks as if it was inspired by the world of Avatar.
#10. Gumpert Nathalie (2021–Present)
- Why It’s Insane: Gullwing doors meet green fuel cell tech.
- Engine: Methanol-powered electric fuel cell
- Horsepower: 536 hp
- 0–60 mph: 2.5 seconds
- Range: 510 miles
- Highlight: Built for track and street, but uses a revolutionary synthetic fuel system.
The Gumpert Nathalie proves that cutting-edge design can perfectly meet environmental responsibility, which is extremely good. With its over-the-top gullwing doors and razor-sharp, aggressive lines, this machine screams for speed. Nathalie’s electrified fuel cell drivetrain, which uses a methanol fuel cell to generate electricity off the tip of a chemical reaction, makes this vehicle unique; it provides carbon-neutral power and rapid refueling.
It has 536 horsepower and can go to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, and also offers an impressive 510-mile driving range. It’s designed to operate on the track and open roads to the public, bringing out its high-performance nature and environmental friendliness. Nathalie’s eye-poppingly modern appearance and trailblazing technology in fuel mean it doesn’t merely trend—and it leads.
Conclusion
Gullwing doors serve a purpose beyond the impressive—they are a testament to imaginative engineering and visionary design. From these models, whether the iconic models are rare luxury vehicles, advanced EVs, or simply ultra-rare speed machines, it is pretty evident that automotive design still crosses all boundaries of audacity and beauty.
Whether a legendary vehicle (DeLorean) or a concept that pushes what we can conceive (Vision AVTR or Bertone Stratos HF Zero), every design demonstrates how creativity still moves automotive design forward. Apart from introducing new doors, these models reimagine possibilities of vehicle design. For someone who has ever had the chance to dream of driving a car out of a science fiction movie, these ten gullwing masterpieces mirror your wildest dreams.