Hooniverse Asks- Modern Car Headlights; Emotive Design Elements or Number One Example of Form Over Function?
Headlights help us see at night or in inclement weather. We also sometime refer to women’s chesticles as headlights in a misogynistic attempt to combine our two most favorite subjects into one. That makes them near and dear to both our sense of safety and continued testosterone production. Headlight – the car editions, not the boobs, have always been an important styling component however recently they’ve become ornate centers of the stylist’s focus.
Some time ago I was discussing with Fat Braff the value of Audi’s current LED headlight mascara. Braff liked them so much that he claimed they gave him a chub,while I lamented that have that Audis I saw so equipped had one side out and looked like they’ve had a stroke. Audi has made the headlamp a center point of their brand evocation, although to me their lack of consistency means that the message they communicate is more reliability? Yeah, maybe!
What do you think, would you rather see these kinds of baroque headlamp designs be used more and more? Or, would you be happier going back to 7-inch sealed beams? What’s your take on headlights today, are they more form over function, and if not, which is your fav?
Image source: [oneighturbo.com]
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Yeah, for Audi in particular, I do think the whole LED array thing is quite sexy, but I too have seen a large-percentage of them recently with one eye-out, which looks significantly more gastly than the standard pediddle.
That said, I'm fully behind encorporating beauty into functional design…providing it doesn't just pile-on more shit that can easily break.
Wherever the balance between elegant design and rugged, reliable functionality is, that's where it's at.
One goes off with the turn signal, probably what you are seeing
Really? Interesting, but nope.
While driving in a straight line in the last few I recall. The last one was stopped at a cross walk on a straight stretch of road.
<img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSw1n4K7LUu1ar4KbgZSMgB_-qjR39gaijpl_RlhK23v61JfmK8"width=500>
… and that's all I have to say about that.
Good choice, but there is more out there.
<img src="http://www.fastestlaps.com/photos/_Alfa_Romeo_Montreal4b0cd137d41ad.jpg">
As much as I like the Montreal, the headlight treatment reminds me of this.
<img src="http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqQOKpEE25vTwFQ0BNwy4Y8s,!~~_3.JPG"width=500>
Needs flashing LEDs.
Looks so drowsy.
For decades, designers – particularly in the US – were restricted by mandated headlight designs or technical limitations. Now they have the freedom to do what they want, and more power to them. I might not always like the results, but if the headlights provide safe and effective illumination, then the sky's the limit.
I still kinda have a thing for sealed beams. After spending more than two hours disassembling and reassembling bits of the 300 in order to replace a headlight bulb (including some time just standing there scratching my head), I like them even more. They may not have been sexy or had the brightest beams, but they sure were nice from a maintenance standpoint. And even today, I don't find them unattractive.
<img src="http://www.allpar.com/photos/imperial/1957/headlights.jpg" width="500">
And with sealed beams, you never had this:
<img src="http://www.fototime.com/{FE350032-AFEA-48A1-AF94-7110873E4F2A}/picture.JPG" width="500">
Sealed beams aren't always a joy to replace, either, but from a replacement cost perspective (in the event of damage to the lens) they are advantageous. As an added benefit, glass is more resilient than polycarbonate.
Which is why they still should be glass.
You can buff that out, you know.
And it only takes about 10 minutes. And your neighbors will think you're a wizard. (Just did mine recently.)
I think you mean, "That will buff right out".
When my T-bird's lights got like that I hit them with some Meguiar's Plast-X, and while it helped it really couldn't undo all the pitting from 1xx,xxx miles of wear. Eventually a dumbass deer jumped out in front of me and forced the issue, and then I got factory-extra LH and RH lens/reflector assemblies for the amazing total of $200 at a local salvage yard.
Somehow my Dakota's lamps have held up a lot better; I'm not sure whether to credit its living in a garage when it's not being driven, or that I wax the lenses when I'm waxing the rest of the body, or both.
And I get a kick out of my Challenger's headlamp bulb replacement procedure, which in the manual is basically "see your friendly local Dodge dealer". I pulled off the cover panels out of curiosity and it sure doesn't look that hard.
The thing is that unless the modern headlights are projector beams or the lenses are new, sealed beams are usually more effective. After all, most cars over 5 years old have yellowed, cloudy lenses that put out less light than the old school glass sealed beams. I found this to be true when I went from driving a newer vehicle (well… a 1998…) to driving a 1991 Metro with the rectangular bulbs and actually saw an improvement in visibility.
Perhaps the best compromise would be if the new cars had glass lenses like they did when they first came out with modern headlights. Then again, no if for no other reason than the new systems cost too damn much to replace in their entirety. Sorry but when it comes to headlights I prefer sealed beams to modern ones. Now get off my lawn you damn kids!
I had a first generation Legend with halogen bulbs and glass lenses. Replacement parts for the glass portion, in late '80s dollars, was over six hundred bucks. Led me to conclude that this form of "progress" was merely another way to separate me from money.
I quite like Audi's LED mascara. It's just too bad that everyone is doing it now. I've seen everything from a Lexus IS to a Hyundai with them. But I don't think I've seen any of them non-operable.
Yep, that fad has just about run its course.
I'm a romantic. I ♥ these headlights.
<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkaq9cqszz1qbw2ruo1_500.jpg"width="500"/>
Awwww, I just did a GIS for ford gt heart headlights with you in mind, turns-out the result is more for the fellas though. It's hard to tell, but I think there may be a Ford GT in there somewhere in the back or something.
Anyway I don't like two things about modern headlights (that have not been mentioned already). It's pretty hard to get your hand twisted around properly to change the bulb after taking off what you need to in a lot of cars. And a lot of time that seems to be because they make them so long on the outside, I don't like that look. Wait I guess I have a third gripe. I like how in many old cars when the head lights are on you can see the turn signal from the front since they put them so far apart. That's not true so much with modern cars since there are often right next to the daytime running lights, so I can about never see from far away if the blinker is on. It's a little pet peeve of mine, but these Audis turn the eyeliner LEDs off as did some of the first Fords with DRLs at least. I wish all cars did that.
Designers have to keep in mind that headlights are the eyes on a car's face. Two symmetrically located element above a central mouth-like opening will always resemble eyes to a human observer. Eyes covered by inwardly-slanting brows indicated anger (new Dodge Charger (could a car look more pissed-off? No wonder cops drive them)). Lights that droop to the bottom of their openings give a pathetic, sad puppy look (previous generation Mustang) and when their brows are peeled back, revealing the white above the iris, you have a stunned, scared look (most current BMWs, especially the 1-series.) A lack of focal point within a headlight gives a feeling of vacancy, a lack of consciousness (current Ford Superduty).
Headlights are the windows to the soul.
Don't be surprised if one day you receive a Cease and Desist letter for your username.
How do you know you're not conversing with the Ol' Chicken Farmer hisself?
Probably because it's a recent contribution that actually contains something of value.
Because I haven't received a threatening phone call.
Talk about your angry Dodge:
<img src="http://www.allchryslerday.com/dodgeclub/pics/59custom.jpg"width=500>
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/lLoa2.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" />
It's all been downhill since here:
<img src="http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20101007/Carriage-Lantern-1663474.jpg">
I have to say that, when the BMW "Angel Eye" light conductors first started to appear, I had mixed views.
On the one hand, I thought they looked fantastic. The E39 and 38 that wore them first were among the best proportioned Bimmers ever series produced, and the light rings just gave them another little edge of uniquity.
Also:- at that point none of the opposition had anything like them. You could immediately recognise a 5 or 7er in your rear view, but the Mercs and Audis of the time just blended into the night.
On the other hand, I hate them for pretty much beginning the race for headlamp "individuality", which later turned into "me too" imitation. The Audi eyebrow came soon after, then the horizontal Saab light bars, and then all the others, including the pathetic offerings on Range Rovers. I guess it's like string sections in '90s rock music. Once the Smashing Pumpkins did it, everyone wanted a piece of the action.
At my former fave blog they were discussing pop up lights and I realized how much I miss them..aerodynamics/cost cutting be damned!!
I think the LED accents are getting overplayed .. even Hyundais have them now..
We need something new like electric glass hiding lights when they are off
I thought pop-up lights were extinct due to pedestrian safety issues being the responsibility of car manufacturers.
We're they? I hope not because that really will be proof that red tape killed art. I mean when they replaced the pop up lights on the Vette, my heart died a little
Time to start placing headlights behind transparent aluminum bodywork.
I think he's referring to these crazy doors, except turned into a headlight cover.
[youtube 0QhCYa6W22c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QhCYa6W22c youtube]
Yes indeed and the roof of the Ferrari 575M Superamerica as well..now wouldnt that be cool?
If we can somehow get the tech to tint the glass instead of frost or black then that would be rather innovative no?
I like the way a well styled set of lights looks (Audi, Cadillac, BMW), but am not terribly excited about the prospect of $600 easily destroyable dollars sitting so close to a poorly driven/parked Escalade…
No, not a fan of modern light designs, especially the LED-running-light-eyebrow things. Mainly because it has spawned a variety of cheap, aftermarket knock-offs fixed, poorly, to other cars, which of course, where not designed with them in the first place.
I have always had a soft spot for quad-round headlights.
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