anyone see what they look like or how the light output compares to HIDs?

i saw a lexus LS hybrid the other day with the leds and they looked very dim, prob cuz of the sharp cutoff angle of the leds. was not able to see the light output on the ground.

 

Having seen the output of both LS hybrid and the Audi R8 LED headlamps, they are just as bright as their HID counterparts, and the instant on/off is a nice benefit.

 

didn't the R8 us spec not come with led lights?

what was the output color? white or yellowish white?

was it brighter than hids?

any pics?

 

r8 us spec does not have led headlights just led running lights. Only lexus ls has them in US so far.

 

I'm pretty sure the R8 we had was sporting the LED headlamps as well. It was a test car however so I don't know if it was production.

The output was white, not yellowish white. It looks just like HID's except that there were more projectors to spread the light beam out. Overall, the output seemed to be as good as HID's.

 

I took some photos but I never uploaded them and have no idea where they went, but this photo of it on netcarshow.com is very accurate as to how they look when lit..

 

You are probably right. I read that they would be in Europe and not here, but this article seems to support the opposite.

led's

 

doug, can you please explain why instant on/off is a nice benefit? do you just mean, you don't have to wait for the HID flickering affect when turned on to warm up to temperature?
i'm not knowledgable on this issue so please elaborate. thanks.

 

IMHO LED's being instant on/off is only a real benefit when used in brake lights. Cadillac was one of the first to use LED brake lights and one of the reasons was it is true that they illuminated milliseconds faster than traditional bulbs. That fact translates in faster reaction time for the people braking behind the car.

 

yes i can understand the brake light benefits. but why would it matter for the headlights. i guess thats what i'm confused about