Tail light night pics

2

left turn

another...

last one...

thanks for the pics!

What the hell? the indicator is the half red circle? that's retarded. I know the amber works. It looks like I'm going to have to rewire the whole thing. I don't like the split taillights. I was hoping for the outer FULL circle for night, then the inner FULL circle for braking.

here! And in the Bristol Run 2 video from 3:40 to 3:45 the Elise is using the amber right indicator.

arcane US light regulations

I remember Nick Adams discussing the lighting at the LA Auto Show. I do not remember exactly but it went something like this...(I wish Nick could get on line like he used to with Lotus Life...)

There is a specific regulation about not having multiple tail lamps far apart. I guess the regulators were worried about covering the entire rear of a car with many lamps, leading to confusion when one or many turned on. Is that a turn or a stop and is it left or right?

So when Lotus went for certification, the lamps as configured were not allowed. They needed to combine functions into a single lamp because the two as used in Europe were too far apart.

(Nick also tells about seeing the Ferrari with the twin tail lamps similar to the Elise, and wondering how it was certified. Apparently they were cast as a single plastic unit behind the body work and so were acceptable. How is that for government bureaucracy? Lotus thought about doing the same but the twin lamps were already certified and the government would not budge.)

I suppose the using of the outside for braking and the inside for turn (or the opposite) combines both turn and brake functions into each unit, making it acceptable.

Sure looks confusing to me...

Michael

I actually *like* the way Lotus did these lights - they look great. Here are some images of my car from a recent drive:

Parking lights only:

2. Parking and brake lights

With just the parking lights, it looks almost like a pair of glowing red eyeballs!