The Most Unusual Car Features Ever Built: From Gullwing Doors to Glass Innovations

Explore the 10 most bizarre and futuristic car features, including gullwing doors, transparent hoods, fabric bodies, and biometric access. Discover what makes them unique.

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The automotive world has never lacked creativity. From concept cars to production models, some manufacturers take bold steps to offer features that defy convention. Here's a rundown of ten of the strangest — and most fascinating — features ever put into a car.

1. Gullwing Doors: A Legendary Design

First seen on the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL, gullwing doors open upwards like a bird’s wings. Originally designed to accommodate the car's high sills, these doors became icons of style. Today, you’ll find them on models like the Tesla Model X, Pagani Huayra, and the reborn DeLorean Alpha5.

2. Transparent Hoods: Design Meets Showcase

The Genesis Essentia concept caught eyes with a see-through hood revealing its electric powertrain. More than just visual flair, it symbolized a proud display of engineering aesthetics.

3. Fabric Bodywork: The Flexible Future

BMW’s GINA concept stunned the world with a flexible fabric body stretched over a movable frame. The skin could morph, with headlights peeking through slits and the hood opening like a flap. It was a bold rethinking of car body design.

4. Periscope Instead of Mirrors: Submarine Inspiration

The German-built Isdera Imperator 108i replaced rear-view mirrors with a central periscope. While the concept improved aerodynamics and gave off futuristic vibes, it never caught on beyond this niche supercar.

5. Central Driving Position: Command from the Center

The 1980 Citroën Karin featured a central driver's seat flanked by two passenger seats behind. Offering balance and visibility, the layout was radical — and has since inspired high-performance cars like the McLaren F1.

6. Butterfly Doors: Drama with a Twist

Similar to gullwings but hinged at a different angle, butterfly doors are a staple of supercars like the McLaren P1 and BMW i8. They bring a theatrical flair to entering and exiting the vehicle while remaining functional in tight spaces.

7. Panoramic Glass Roofs and Hoods: Rolling Greenhouses

As glass panels grow larger, cars like the Tesla Model S feature seamless glass roofs, flooding interiors with natural light. Concepts from brands like Cadillac have even explored transparent hoods, pushing the glass frontier further.

8. Interactive Light Panels: Talking to Pedestrians

Modern concepts use LED panels not just for design, but to communicate. Signals can indicate stops or turns to pedestrians — a potential future staple in the age of autonomous driving.

9. Adaptive Aero Elements: Bodywork That Moves

Active spoilers, adjustable flaps, and retractable diffusers help modern cars adapt aerodynamically in real time. Once reserved for hypercars, these features now trickle down to production sports cars.

10. Biometric Entry Systems: Your Finger is the Key

Cars are ditching physical keys in favor of fingerprint recognition, facial scans, and more. While convenient, this tech raises new questions about security in an increasingly digital driving environment.

From wild designs to advanced systems, these features show that cars are evolving into rolling testbeds of creativity. The road ahead promises even more mechanical marvels and boundary-pushing innovations.