Don’t look for anything other than LED – light emitting diode – bulbs on the upcoming 2010 Audi R8 V10, which will become the first vehicle not equipped with halogen or incandescent bulbs of any sort to be sold to consumers. The R8 V10’s headlamps, tail lamps, cornering lamps and interior lamps are all made with the low-consumption LEDs, which provide not only homogeneous light distribution, but also use less energy.
That energy savings translates into fuel savings, so you can expect to see halogen bulbs become a thing of the past very quickly, Audi says.
“A lot of people initially viewed this development as a mere marketing gimmick,” Audi’s Dr. Wolfgang Huhn, Head of Light and Visibility Department, told Gizmag. “Yet everyone who has seen these lights in action is not only astonished by the excellent output but also thrilled with the homogeneous distribution of light and the agreeable, daylight-esque color of the light.â€
LED headlamps are even more efficient and powerful than Xenon gas headlamps, which have become de rigeuer on luxury cars and have even begun appearing on some compact cars, like the Mazda Mazda3.
Ordering opened today for the V10-powered R8, which will be officially unveiled at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Check back for Leftlane’s exclusive live coverage of the show next week.



01/05, 1:01 PM
posted by:
atoms
I would only expect audi to have a “light and visibility department”
01/05, 1:15 PM
posted by:
Struggle
Film at 11
01/05, 1:22 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
“ ‘A lot of people initially viewed this development as a mere marketing gimmick….’ †It’s not a marketing gimmick by itself, but it is a marketing gimmick the way that VW chose to introduce this development in connection with the uber-expensive R8 V10. When VW brings all-LED manufacturing to its entire line, that will be newsworthy (relatively).
01/05, 1:23 PM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
thank you audi for being the first! now if others will soon follow, it would great
01/05, 1:24 PM
posted by:
A4
uhmm well if anyone is pioneering lighting it is VWAG and just about all of their cars can be had with LED taillights in Europe. Why we get the halogen taillights for the Jetta instead of the gorgeous Passat style ones i will never know.
01/05, 2:06 PM
posted by:
trantz
Doesn’t the 08 Escalade Platinum Edition use only LED light technology?
01/05, 2:15 PM
posted by:
Scarface03
atoms,
Saturn’s got a “Chief of Color,” whose job, evidently, is to decide what color to paint the cars.
01/05, 2:31 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
This is about as interesting as knowing what kind of plastic insulates wires under the dash.
Who the hell gets wet over LEDs anyway? Oh, idrinorbarsaku, that’s who.
01/05, 2:55 PM
posted by:
NRG
What the h?ll is that a picture of?????? LLN, if you zoom in even more on the pic, then we can all go blind at the same time.
01/05, 2:58 PM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
mayer_ray_nagin
it is f-a-g-o-t-s like you who said the same thing when airbags first came out. so your comment is the dumbest thing i have heard so far this year!
01/05, 3:20 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
Idrinorbarsaku, please let me know when side-impact LEDs save someone’s life.
01/05, 3:23 PM
posted by:
pavlindrom
mayer_ray_nagin, you should not comfort yourself by thinking it’s early in the ear. the comment is incredibly…
01/05, 3:52 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
Pavlin and Idrin are more than welcome to explain why it is so incredibly intelligent to get wet over LEDs.
I mean seriously … who eff’ing cares, and why? Because they are pretty, save 14 ounces, and half a kilowatt per year? You guys sport wood for that? Sheeeeesh.
01/05, 4:08 PM
posted by:
hummah
LEDs are the wave of the future, you will never have to change a headlight bulb ever again. It will be like broadband vs. dial-up if that helps morons like the poster above me.
01/05, 4:22 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
I’m at 100k miles on my non LED vehicle and have not had to change any bulbs.
Still, the prospect of never changing maybe 25 bulbs in my entire life (saving maybe 90 minutes time over 75 years) seems somehow different than the daily frustration that dial-up would cause me, but to each his own, hummah. If you spend 20 hours per week changing burned out bulbs on your car then I guess this would seem like a fantastic technological achievement. Chances are higher, hummah, that you just like to look at pretty lights in a vain attempt to illuminate your dim wit.
01/05, 4:26 PM
posted by:
928dreamer
I see this impacting soon with the EV crowd. LED lighting has a significant energy savings over other forms of illumination with very little waste as heat. The quality of light is very good as well. It may mean better range at night for all of those upcoming EVs.
mayer_ray_nagin give it a rest. If you don’t find this interesting move on to another topic and stop wasting your time here on this uninteresting topic. Just because you don’t find it to be newsworthy doesn’t mean that intelligent people might.
01/05, 4:40 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
928 there are no other topics today. I understand the energy savings well enough, but the “I get wet about LEDs” crowd is comical. As such I’ll hang out and beat on them.
Saving a kilowatt or two may have been critical on Apollo 13, but it is far less so on a riced Civic. The upcoming EVs will have whatever lighting they have regardless of what gimmick lights up an Audi R8-v10.
01/05, 5:13 PM
posted by:
Jordan
trantz – the escalade platinum doesn’t use led lighting in the cabin. the r8 v10 does.
mayer – enjoy your sealed beams.
01/05, 5:44 PM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
new technology and new offerings spawn newer technology and newer higher tech car offerings! it’s not my fault you are blind and too stupid to see that! Plus, you’re probably just jealous that your still have one of those ****ty cars with “halogen”. Give it a rest, no one cares/gives a **** about you/your comments! If you don’t like led’s, simply state that, don’t get a hissy fit like it’s your god damn period b itch. GET A LIFE!!! and find something better to do than spam this thread with stupid biased comments
01/05, 7:27 PM
posted by:
tyler_is_aero_tt
I can’t even believe this never came quicker. Good job Audi for showing the way.
01/06, 12:08 AM
posted by:
The Stig
LEDs are the ticket. Good job Audi. Now gimme an R8 with the V12 TDI and I’ll be right over.
01/06, 12:26 AM
posted by:
Got Handling?
The first superyacht with all LED lighting was launched last year. The efficiency is compelling in a yacht where there are literally thousands of lights on at one time and energy load on your generator and batteries has to be monitored constantly. In a car I would imagine the reliability of LEDs is a far more important factor. Imagine, in ten years time we will probably never see a car with a headlight, or indicator (turn signal) not working.
If someone wants to save massive amounts of energy in cars, let them address the issue of heat losses in the engine. Open your bonnet (hood) after a long drive and feel how hot the engine is. Now imagine having a heater that powerful at home but leaving it turned on and out in the garden for several hours a day: its just mind boggling how much heat is produced in your engine and then wasted.
Why are plug in cars charged by oil-burning power stations so much more environmentally-friendly? Because a petrol-powered car only converts 15-20% of the energy in the petrol it burns into forward motion, 15-20% !!!
01/06, 2:20 AM
posted by:
sprockkets
Good one mayer_ray_nagin. Halogen bulbs don’t go out often, THEY JUST GET DIM AS HELL. Replace one and see what you are missing. You probably have one working brake light and and two fast flashing turn signals too.
The Caddy Escalator Platinum ed has LED headlamps.
Btw, these LED headlamps on THIS car take 50w vs the typical 35w for Xenon. Nope, LLN is wrong again. And even when LED becomes more efficient, they still are prone to dying due to heat. I’m curious to see how long they last.
And, try getting ONE LED to be brighter than ONE Xenon bulb.
And for all those Scion/Civic/SuperDutyFSeries owners out there that have to illegally put in HID headlamps in your car, a big FU CK you and go to HE LL.
01/06, 8:40 AM
posted by:
JohnnyBlazE
I believe sprockets has a point about the LED vs. Xenon debate… Sure, standard halogens put out about 55W, but 35W on halogens is better than the 50W of LEDs if that is the correct figure.
And yes, you need many LEDs to provide the same light as a Xenon.
Now, incandescent bulbs are obsolete on torches as far as I’m concerned… My LED Lenser is excellent and uses just one LED, but lasts ages and I can have spot or flood focussing.
It is bright and has an intense beam that lights up quite a distance awaym but is a cold cold light… Not as warm as Xenons…
Oh, but, as for retrofitting older cars with HID Xenon systems, I’m all for it.
My BMW E30’s dipped beams are no way near as good, even with upgraded bulbs, as they could be, and although the full high beams are not bad in very dark conditions, I would love a more powerful dipped beam… And that’s that… I prefer the safety of clear visibility- not too fussed about how they make my car look…
01/06, 10:06 AM
posted by:
jonmiles
What exactly is “homogeneous light distribution”?
01/06, 10:30 AM
posted by:
Z06ified
There’s no way the LED headlights use 50 W of power. LED’s produce hardly any heat as well. Where did you get your very wrong information from, sprockkets?
I love LED’s, but let’s face it. The #1 reason Audi did this was for marketing and looks. Saves fuel on a V-10 supercar? Riiiiigggghhhhhttttttt………….