Comments on: Audi’s R8 V10 becomes first all-LED automobile

By: Z06ified

Z06ified — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:30:11 +0000

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………….

By: jonmiles

jonmiles — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:06:16 +0000

What exactly is “homogeneous light distribution”?

By: JohnnyBlazE

JohnnyBlazE — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:40:41 +0000

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…

By: sprockkets

sprockkets — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:20:42 +0000

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.

By: Got Handling?

Got Handling? — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:26:48 +0000

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% !!!

By: The Stig

The Stig — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:08:31 +0000

LEDs are the ticket. Good job Audi. Now gimme an R8 with the V12 TDI and I’ll be right over.

By: tyler_is_aero_tt

tyler_is_aero_tt — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:27:54 +0000

I can’t even believe this never came quicker. Good job Audi for showing the way.

By: idrinorbarsaku

idrinorbarsaku — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:44:30 +0000

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

By: Jordan

Jordan — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:13:39 +0000

trantz – the escalade platinum doesn’t use led lighting in the cabin. the r8 v10 does.

mayer – enjoy your sealed beams.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:40:10 +0000

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.

By: 928dreamer

928dreamer — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:26:39 +0000

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.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:22:19 +0000

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.

By: hummah

hummah — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:08:48 +0000

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.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:52:19 +0000

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.

By: pavlindrom

pavlindrom — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:23:16 +0000

mayer_ray_nagin, you should not comfort yourself by thinking it’s early in the ear. the comment is incredibly…

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:20:26 +0000

Idrinorbarsaku, please let me know when side-impact LEDs save someone’s life.

By: idrinorbarsaku

idrinorbarsaku — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:58:26 +0000

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!

By: NRG

NRG — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:55:06 +0000

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.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:31:36 +0000

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.

By: Scarface03

Scarface03 — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:15:50 +0000

atoms,
Saturn’s got a “Chief of Color,” whose job, evidently, is to decide what color to paint the cars.

By: trantz

trantz — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:06:04 +0000

Doesn’t the 08 Escalade Platinum Edition use only LED light technology?

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:24:40 +0000

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.

By: idrinorbarsaku

idrinorbarsaku — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:23:42 +0000

thank you audi for being the first! now if others will soon follow, it would great

By: howsmydriving

howsmydriving — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:22:15 +0000

“ ‘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).

By: Struggle

Struggle — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:15:13 +0000

Film at 11

By: atoms

atoms — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:01:04 +0000

I would only expect audi to have a “light and visibility department”