Design Details: Skylights and Sunroofs Edition

"Amoore100" (amoore100) 09/17/2015 at 22:11 • Filed to: Design Details, Nissan Quest, Sunroof, Opel Meriva

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Design Details this week focuses on something that is generally regarded as a luxury appointment but has become more and more popular on modern cars. Nowadays it has become an option even on the crappy Nissan Versa and has led to the rise of panoramic roofs as well as several very odd skylight designs. For example:

Here is the five skylight design of the old Nissan Quest, lending the car quite an airy feel although depending on how much covering the skylights have, the car could get pretty hot...

The new Opel Meriva avoids the multiple sunroof design in favor of one gigantic window across the top. Looks hot, doesn’t it?

So what’s your take on the situation, Oppo?

What are the best/worst/most distinctive sunroofs or skylights put on cars?

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Amoore100 09/17/2015 at 22:33

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One thing I’d be curious to know is how a skylight affects structural rigidity of the roof. Do vehicles with a skylight generally have a weaker roof structure, or are they generally just replacing non-load bearing sheet metal with glass?

I quite like the skylight in the Mustang concept from a number of years back:

Completely not realistic, but still pretty cool looking.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > BaconSandwich is tasty. 09/17/2015 at 22:38

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Isn't most of the structure of the roof based on the edges?

Amoore100 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 09/17/2015 at 22:47

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As Jordan and his Slowrunner says, I think roofs are held up mainly by the reinforced rails along the doors, Citroen C3 Pluriel being a case in point. I wouldn’t roll it over though, for fear of glass shards everywhere...

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Amoore100 09/17/2015 at 22:54

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Renault Avantime is pretty cool

And those doors. And the no pillars. I want one very badly.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 09/17/2015 at 22:55

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That does sound reasonable. But I’d imagine removing the roof truss/support/pillar between the A pillars would weaken things quite a bit. That being said, they could paint it black to hide it like they did on the Model S:

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Amoore100 09/17/2015 at 22:55

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... or an attacking Tyrannosaurus. I have to hand it to Citroen - they always seem to be wild with ideas, and make some incredibly cool looking stuff.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Amoore100 09/17/2015 at 22:58

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How not to do sunroofs: make them fucking metal like it is on my E36. It’s great for sunny, nice days when you can open it, pretty much useless any other time. That extra little bit of light from it would be much appreciated in my all-black interior with tinted windows.

Amoore100 > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/17/2015 at 23:08

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Yes, me too. Stupid 25 year import rule.

Amoore100 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 09/17/2015 at 23:11

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I remember our old 740s that had metal sunroofs...now that you think back on it, I realize that those things were kind of an odd preposition...I mean, how often do you open them anyways?

I still remember this style of crank that they had...

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Amoore100 09/17/2015 at 23:16

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I want one of those and an RB26 Stagea with a 5 speed.

Amoore100 > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/17/2015 at 23:18

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Yes, but I prefer my Stagea with some Autech love...

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Amoore100 09/17/2015 at 23:24

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Here’s one I always thought was really cool, Mercedes ML W163 Lamella roof.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Amoore100 09/17/2015 at 23:32

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That works as well. I kinda want a 2JZ powered convertible truck that’s made out of an old rhd Cressida.

Sorta like this.

Amoore100 > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/17/2015 at 23:50

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I can respect that but I’d rather have an Aerocabin myself. In fact I really want an Aerocabin now...I guess you could call this one weird sunroof?

HammerheadFistpunch > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 09/18/2015 at 00:20

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Also known as a Jeep sky slider top or some nonsense

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > HammerheadFistpunch 09/18/2015 at 00:47

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Had no idea anyone else used something similar. The jeep one like to be fabric though. The Mercedes one is actually panels that fold up and slide back.

Stupidly complex, expensive, and prone to failure. But at the very least a cool idea.

Alex B > Amoore100 09/18/2015 at 06:18

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I always thought those sunroofs on the second gen quest were always really cool. Shame about the rest of it though though. If only Nissan could put the same feature on the new one!

Oh, and the Maxima with the coin slot sunroof was always pretty odd.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Amoore100 09/18/2015 at 07:56

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OOh. Forgot about that one.

Amoore100 > Alex B 09/18/2015 at 10:24

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Definitely. I think the Maxima and Quest sunroofs were part of the same campaign of “Let’s see how weird we can make our sunroofs!” Apparently “Very” turned out to be the answer to that question...I wonder how many Maxima and Quest sunroofs still survive today?

MonkeePuzzle > Amoore100 09/18/2015 at 12:20

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I love a good overhead console, such unused realestate in so many cars.

Amoore100 > MonkeePuzzle 09/18/2015 at 17:56

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Agreed...I especially love that airplane feel in certain minivans, as it makes travelling all the more interesting and comfortable (as long as you don’t get airplane seating...)

MonkeePuzzle > Amoore100 09/18/2015 at 19:46

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I added one to my civic, each seat/kid getting their own directed light makes a big difference. and finally a good spot for my garage opener. most importantly, a clock my car was without since ditching the stock radio

Amoore100 > MonkeePuzzle 09/18/2015 at 19:56

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Got any pics? That sounds like an interesting addition to a Civic!

MonkeePuzzle > Amoore100 09/18/2015 at 20:44

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posting from phone, please forgive order and rotation. but its from a 90s jeep. fibreglassed to my headliner and recovered with fabric. replaced the compass with an lcd clock

Amoore100 > MonkeePuzzle 09/18/2015 at 21:00

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No problem, the pictures came out fine. Wow, that is a super clean addition! I had expected perhaps small dollar store containers and LED lights but I had no idea you took the entire ceiling console off another car! Was it a difficult process? I can imagine the wiring might have been a bit tricky but the end result is well worth the effort!

Alex B > Amoore100 09/18/2015 at 21:15

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And the center console on that roof is seriously cool as well. I don’t see too many late Quests or Maximas so... i don't know haha

Amoore100 > Alex B 09/18/2015 at 21:18

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Makes it feel like an airplane cabin, which is awesome...seems good for long sightseeing road trips...

Alex B > Amoore100 09/18/2015 at 21:25

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It would probably be good to drive through a city with tall buildings. The windows would make it optimal for viewing the building.

MonkeePuzzle > Amoore100 09/18/2015 at 23:23

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getting the headline out was a pain, but cutting and recovering in fabric was basic crafts a school kid could do with good scissors and glue. there was already 12v in the roof for the original dome light, wiring 4 lights to go on and off correctly just took my father looking at the wirinv for 5 minutes to figure out (after I’d given up.after a day) and the clock just needed power and a few screws. easily a single day of work. and I love the result. looks factory, as desired.

Amoore100 > Alex B 09/19/2015 at 00:55

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Or any national park for that matter...my dad loves going to them and it’s always a pain in a rental Grand Caravan with no sunroof to try and see all the sheer cliffs and rainforests...

Dunnik > Alex B 09/19/2015 at 02:07

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A friend at work has that era Maxima.

It’s a skylight, it doesn’t open.