I'm sure there's a good reason why you can't buy a car with a full canopy roof. But dammit, I still want one.
Above is the 1996 Zagato Raptor, or Lamborghini Raptor, depending on who you ask. It has all-wheel drive and a 5.7l Lamborghini V12 mounted in the middle. That's all well and good, but all I really care about is that the double-bubble roof flips all the way up. I'm sure I'd look like a toolbag pulling up anywhere with a roof that latches up, but sometimes you have to accept that the world can always use a little theater.
Come to think of it, some of my favorite car designs have canopy roofs. There's the fantastic 2006 Saab Aero X, the greatest Saab that never was.
It used the canopy roof as a callback to the company's fighter jet heritage.
And I have a huge soft spot for the 2005 Maserati Birdcage 75th concept. The shape is just so clean with one single, front-hinging door.
I can't imagine that they would pass many rollover or roof crush safety standards, but hey, I can dream. And that's sort of what a canopy roof is all about.
Photo Credits: Zagato, Saab, Maserati