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From: haapanen@watdcsu.UUCP (Tom Haapanen [DCS])
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: What are these new headlights?
Message-ID: <844@watdcsu.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 19-Jan-85 10:05:05 EST
Article-I.D.: watdcsu.844
Posted: Sat Jan 19 10:05:05 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jan-85 10:47:38 EST
References: <469@hlwpc.UUCP>
Reply-To: haapanen@watdcsu.UUCP (Tom Haapanen [DCS])
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 31

In article <469@hlwpc.UUCP> cb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch) writes:
>I've seen some new headlights on a handful of cars lately.
>I'm hardpressed to describe them, but they seem to be wider than
>the standard rectangular headlight -- maybe even as wide
>as two adjacent headlights in a four-headlight system.

>Aren't headlights supposed to be (somewhat) standardized in
>Canadian/American cars or cars built overseas for export here?
>Is this yet another allowable "standard?"

The new headlights have two advantages: first, they are considerably
more aerodynamic, resulting in greater performance and fuel economy;
secondly, they provide more light.  They are generally large --- the
European Audi 100 (ie 5000S) has headlights the size of the entire
U.S.-spec 5000S twin headlight assembly.  Amazing light-power!

The cars that I know of currently that have these new lights are the
Audi 4000S, Audi Coupe, Lincoln Mark VII, Nissan Maxima, Toyota
Cressida, VW Jetta, VW GTI.  The Toyota and Nissan lights are not
quite as obvious as the others.

Indeed, the headlight standards in the U.S. were very stringent (and
dated) until recently.  No quartz-halogen headlight, no non-standard
sizes, no this, no that. The consumers will now reap the benefits
of this deregulation.  The only deterrent is that the new headlights
are somewhat more expensive, and thus likely will not find their into
true econoboxes.  However, quartz-halogen lights have replaceable
bulbs, which are fairly inexpensive.

			\tom
			watmath!watdcsu!haapanen