Comments on: Audi R8 to offer full LED headlights

By: Rafa LL

Rafa LL — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:02:19 +0000

What’s next? $10,000 windshield wipers? $15,000 side mirrors? or maybe a $20,000 door handle? I think $7000 it’s way too much, and seriously think about it, you use them in night time- when you drive the less- let’s say 2 hours max from work to home, on weekends drive 30 minutes to another’s rich place or to a fancy club, maybe just for a Big Mac. 700,000 pennies are way to much, Thank god is optional but I think people that order it should think the practicality/price instead on how it looks. Because they’re not THAT better than the Standards.

By: Rafa LL

Rafa LL — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:51:09 +0000

7,000. I’d have to be reeeeeaaaaaallllllllllllyyyyyyy wealthy.

By: nitinsharma1000

nitinsharma1000 — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:00:06 +0000

veda the higher the temperature rating of your light (6000k) above around 2000k-3000k the dimmer your lights get. They just become bluer and bluer. They go from yellowish (i think) at the bottom, then get white (brightest), then slightly blue, then purple. I believe if the number is high enough it would just be ultra-voilet which is invisible to the naked eye.

By: The Stig

The Stig — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:19:14 +0000

Want the latest technology? Pay for it.

By: 02WRXPSM

02WRXPSM — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:52:39 +0000

LED headlights are indeed the future, but another 10 years off; I would be shocked if this option for the R8 is actually DOT-legal in all 50 states, as the DOT is not exactly eager to embrace new car technology of any kind.

There is zero problem with HID lights as long as they are a FACTORY INSTALL. The people who blind you on the highway are morons who have retrofitted crap eBay “HID” lights (in some cases, just “xenon” conventional bulbs) into light fixtures that are NOT designed to direct or focus the beam properly. The car with HIDs we own has an excellent, long-throw night visibility and yet the lights are small and don’t hit you in the face, either from the front or rear.

And, no Subaru won’t offer purple radio displays, that’s a Scion thing

By: jdasch1

jdasch1 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:41:29 +0000

Just remember this story now…$7000 for LED’s. In 2015 they will be standard on every vehicle. Glad to see the rich guys being the early adopters.

By: howsmydriving

howsmydriving — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:21:05 +0000

Forget what the option costs up front. If you need to replace the headlight, Audi will charge you $4,306,299.37, excluding labor.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:17:53 +0000

I was under the impression that LED headlights were outlawed b/c they are too bright and blind other motorists. HIDs piss me off enough b/c people don’t know how to properly adjust the cutoffs.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:22:20 +0000

Big Freakin Deal.

What’s the next important article gonna be about? Will Subaru offer purple radio displays???

By: HemiRoadRunner

HemiRoadRunner — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:15:22 +0000

Wow, this was the automotive news I was waiting for!!! Audi is offering LED lights!

By: Veda

Veda — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:28:28 +0000

LED lasts far longer than conventional bulb be it HID or regular H7. Regarding the use of HID’s on foglights, I’m guilty of having 2 pairs top bottom on my SX4, and 6000K no less. Talk about blinding the upcoming traffic, he he…

By: Veda

Veda — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:40:30 +0000

There are expensive LED flashlights too with special bigger bulbs. I don’t know how many they actually fit into a single headlight but it’s probably a lot to be able to generate that much light.

By: elviososa

elviososa — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:19:45 +0000

LED die on heat?? I have my front turn signals and front side markers changed to use LEDs…for 4 months…no problems so far.

By: C6Racer

C6Racer — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:44:36 +0000

Wow sprockkets, you make it obvious that you are 50 years old. Get over yourself.

By: sprockkets

sprockkets — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:33:37 +0000

BUT, are they more efficient than HID? And HIDs will last the life of the vehicle too. That, and they do not have the problems that LEDs run into: Heat. Without proper ventilation, they die quickly.

LED will be the future, but not there yet with them costing $6500 more than what you would say charge for HID.

If someone can find how much wattage they take, then we can compare. HID low beams (and some also with the use of internal optics can use them also for high beams) take 35 watts each, compared with 50 watts for halogens, yet put out twice the amount of light.

Those losers who have to use their fogs use 55 watts each.

Ever notice the KIA car with front LED turn signals, and how they are separate from the headlamps? Because if they did not separate them, they would die from the heat of the headlamps.

I’m not sure how much HIDs cost when they first came out, but never seemed to have been a $7000 option. Oddly enough, the first US car to have them was the Lincoln Mark 8. Most sites seem to state it was standard on the 1998 model.

Of course, dumbasses with trucks now put in FOUR HIDs, and use them all, both low beam and fog, as if they want ppl to find them and bash in their $1600 worth of light they illegally have. Those ppl need to DIE.

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:16:55 +0000

To add to that… i agree $7000 is way too much for such an option, and Audi knows they can get it out of you so they will charge it. A typical LED costs pennies to make, and something such as a Whelen 400-series LED board costs about $4-6 to produce, and they are sold at around $70-$90 or so.

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:09:53 +0000

The R&D and technology required to go into a street legal – and functional LED headlight is far far greater than that of an LED taillight cluster or LED flashlights for that matter. Strap 6 LED flashlights to the hood of your car tonight and see how far you get with those. The beam these are required to put out is greater than any LED that has preceded it and as the technology goes forward the price will come down just like anything else. Remember how expensive HID’s were back in their earlier days? Maybe not exactly $7000 expensive but they cost an absurd amount for just “headlights”. Im guessing these will be just as great a jump as HID’s were… my MKV GLI has HIDs and i would not trade them for the world on any car, i dont care what the premium is, they are worth it.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:54:23 +0000

I dunno. Had to change a turn signal bulb on my Mustang today. Cost me $2.34. Think I’ll use the remaining $7,000 and have my driveway repaved this fall.

By: Supermann1

Supermann1 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:30:58 +0000

too bad the new GT-R’s LED’s didn’t make it into production. Those looked nice.

By: MurcieMe

MurcieMe — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:30:28 +0000

Is there some particular technology in LED Headlight applications which makes them so expensive? Many automakers have them as taillights, daytime running lights and turn signals – either as standard fare or built in to an option package or trim level. It doesn’t add anywhere close to that much to the bottom line. High powered LED flashlights are pretty cheap too. I can understand a small premium, but $7000?!

$7000!?!?!

. . . $7000!?!?!?!

By: youngm7

youngm7 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:01:37 +0000

alternator only generates as much current as is necessary to keep the battery where it’s supposed to be, the PCM/ECM tells it when to be on, so it’s only sapping power when it has to. less power sapping=more economy, to the tune of a gallon per week, apparently.

halogen light bulbs are one of the biggest current drawing devices on a car, the fewer, the more efficient a car can be. now if they can only find a way to get rid of blower and wiper motors.

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:48:55 +0000

this is old news, but they are going to be a gorgeous option, id spring for them too

By: Astonman12

Astonman12 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:33:35 +0000

my dad’s friend has an order in for a R8 and it is due to arrive in September. He ordered this LED headlight option.

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:22:55 +0000

LLN- Come on, is this all you have to write about? Not knocking on you, but news has seemed incredibly dull as of lately. Any news on some actual enthusiast, interesting material?

I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I can’t stand Halogens, or LEDS. A lot of kids think their cool, but when your on the incoming end of one, especially on high beam it’s literally, blinding.

MugenSentraKen- It confuses me a little bit too how they reserve gasoline, but not so much directly. It’s simply producing less demand for electricity from the alternator, battery and other electric components.

By: MugenSentraKen

MugenSentraKen — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:39:29 +0000

=============>>all i want to know is the connection between led headlights and gas consumption. somebody tellme. Please.

By: NoNameDenton1

NoNameDenton1 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:31:50 +0000

LED headlights are better then the halogen, they are brighter and clearer without any of the drawbacks, and they do not need to be replaced as often since the bulbs last longer.

By: Gundy

Gundy — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:06:41 +0000

Wow, almost 10% of the cost of the car for headlights. I guess if you’re going to buy a car for over $100-grand, what’s another $7000. I’d probably get them.