[burburlulu]

equiped on stock or as an option?

 

[scot]

This is one of the few "niceties" I would definitely like to see as an option on the elise. Not so much because it is cool or neato or anything like that, but it doesnt require those STUPID crap for brains DOT standard reflectors. The patterns are still less optimal as compared to the euro versions of the lights, but its nothing as terrible as the US versions of the normal halogen reflectors.

Ugh what total crap.

I have had HID on my last 2 cars, and plan to continue having it on all future cars.

Scot

 

[MattG]

Are you talking about the required orange reflectors on the sides near the front? Why would the choice of headlights affect the requirement for those?

 

[John Stimson]

There are plenty of cars which have halogen lamps with projector-beam optics. The '94+ Integra and '01+ Miata are two examples. Those seem to have just as good beam dispersion as the HIDs, just with a different light source. I would be happy if the Elise came with a halogen projection setup as good as the Miata's. I'm not really keen on distracting other drivers with the blue color of arc lamps.

 

[scot]

I can almost guarantee you what you find "distracting" are "xenon" or "H4 HID" type lights. They are NOT HIDs. Just replacement bulbs that produce a poor color spectrum, that happens to center more towards 6500k. A true HID has no filiment, and produces fairly natural light centered at 6500K with a good CRI.

You WILL notice them being different due to the massive amount of yellow light in normal halogens. (5000k center with too much yellow.) Our eyes are good at finding "different" stuff, but I think now after years of hids existing, people are used to it.

That being said, I have driven in the miata, and I dont remember it having "projectors" it has a standard reflector system in the popup lamps. I don't think the new one has changed? Projection lights ARE a bit better, but they still have drawbacks as compared to the HIDs. I strongly suggest you go take a drive in a car that has HID lights, go to a nice windy country road at night. You will immediately understand why they are so much better, with the best being the audi/porsche bi-xenons. Though they are a bit gimicky and would start to add weight. A standard hid setup shouldnt add any more weight over a stock system than the ballast... (probably 2lbs, yes I know it needs a motor to raise and lower it, but with the motor the assembly is probably the same as a standard heavy glass light enclosure)


(when talking about reflectors I am talking about the silver reflector in the light housing itself. Not the turn signals. DOT has requirements for all USA reflectors which must have a set pattern. HIDs also have a set pattern requirement, but it actually makes sense and is fairly well designed.

Projector lights are a different beast, and fall squarely inbetween hid and halogen, but for the cost HID beats projectors by a mile.

Scot

 

[payneinthe]

I can almost guarantee you what you find "distracting" are "xenon" or "H4 HID" type lights. They are NOT HIDs. Just replacement bulbs that produce a poor color spectrum, that happens to center more towards 6500k. A true HID has no filiment, and produces fairly natural light centered at 6500K with a good CRI.

The HIDs which come stock on the S2000 are extremely distracting. Part of that is the way the car bounces over every little bump, combined with the very sharp horizon. I imagine the Elise would have similar problems, perhaps even more exaggerated.

 

[smura]

For those of you that want them, I'll be first in line for a group buy from xenondepot.com. Did this on my acura mdx with great results. It's a true HID replacement system complete with ballasts.

The cost is around $450-550, depending on the bulb.

 

[John Stimson]

I can almost guarantee you what you find "distracting" are "xenon" or "H4 HID" type lights.

Nope, I'm talking about the flickering bright bluish headlights on Audis and to a lesser extent, BMWs.

That being said, I have driven in the miata, and I dont remember it having "projectors" it has a standard reflector system in the popup lamps.

The older Miatas have flip-up headlights with fairly generic lamps. The '99-00 have integrated headlights with normal reflectors. The '01 and later Miatas have projector style headlights. There is a sharp cutoff of the beam above the centerline of the lights.

Consumer Reports reviewed headlights a few months ago, comparing cars with all different types. A halogen incandescent projector system was rated the best for illumination (the Mazda Protege), above all the HID systems tested. Some of the HID systems were rated very poorly, but many did well.

There really shouldn't be any difference between HIDs and incandescent projectors in terms of illumination pattern, since the optics are essentially the same. The only difference is the light source, which just affects the color spectrum. The law may allow higher light output from HIDs than from incandescents, but I don't think so.

 

[scot]

The law does not allow HIDs to be brighter than halogen lights. The reason it "appears" brighter is the more correct color spectrum being produced. At the same lumen amount, you will see clearer with less eye stress. (Both on the driver and the other people on the road)

After driving my old audi s4 and my current boxster, I know how much better the spectrum difference makes. When you are tired and driving late at night, HIDs are great.