No, you cannot get butterfly doors on any car. This iconic door style, where the doors swing upwards and outwards, is a complex and expensive modification that is almost exclusively available as a factory-installed option on specific high-performance or luxury vehicles. Retrofitting them onto a car not designed for them requires extensive, irreversible body and chassis modifications, making it impractical for most everyday cars.
Butterfly doors (sometimes called dihedral synchro-helix doors) are an integral part of a car's design and structural engineering. They require specially reinforced hinges mounted to the car's A-pillar and a unique chassis design to accommodate the door's movement without interfering with the front fenders or roof. Simply bolting on a kit to a standard car is not feasible. The process involves cutting into the vehicle's frame, which can compromise structural integrity and safety, potentially voiding the manufacturer's warranty and creating issues with insurance coverage.
The cost is a major barrier. A professional installation for a custom butterfly door conversion can range from $10,000 to over $30,000, depending on the vehicle and the quality of the components. This often exceeds the value of the car itself. For this reason, it's a modification typically reserved for exotic supercars or show cars where budget is not a constraint.
If you desire the dramatic look of butterfly doors, the most reliable path is to purchase a vehicle that comes with them from the factory. The table below lists some prominent production cars featuring butterfly doors.
| Car Model | Approximate Starting Price (USD) | Notable Feature |
|---|
| McLaren 720S | $300,000 | Carbon fiber MonoCage II chassis designed for the doors |
| Ferrari LaFerrari | ~$1.4 Million (auction) | Hybrid powertrain hypercar with scissor/butterfly hybrid doors |
| Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren | $450,000 (when new) | Front-hinged "butterfly" or "gullwing" style doors |
| Gordon Murray T.50 | ~$3 Million | Focus on lightweight engineering and a central driving position |
| Lexus LFA | $375,000 (when new) | Exotic V10 engine and carbon fiber construction |
| Porsche 918 Spyder | $845,000 (when new) | Hybrid hypercar with a focus on track performance |
For most people, alternative door styles like scissor doors (which pivot vertically) are more feasible through aftermarket kits, though they still require significant modification. Ultimately, while the idea is appealing, the reality of fitting butterfly doors to an ordinary car is a complex, costly, and often ill-advised endeavor.
