Headlamp mystery solved !!!!!

Me thinks that the new state of the art, LED headlamps, are going to be GMs 1st LED headlamp car application, with the new Camaro.....:D

Fbodfather quotes :

This will be a driver's car. It HAS to be. It's a CAMARO!

(and you haven't seen the coolest stuff yet!)


http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080129/AUTO01/801290366/1148

LEDs light up new Escalade
SUV is first to use longer-lasting, more stylish diode headlamps
Scott Burgess / The Detroit News
And Cadillac said, "Let there be light emitting diodes."
When the 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum arrives this summer it will include the first fully functioning LED headlamps in an SUV, General Motors Corp.'s luxury brand announced Monday.
The new headlamps, which feature both high- and low-beam projection, offer a long-lasting bright light that resembles daylight more than the bluish Xenon projection beams or yellowish hue in halogen lights. Hella KGaA Hueck & Company, the German-based supplier that developed the headlights with Cadillac, said the new headlamps also will last up to 20 times longer than traditional automotive lights.
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The Escalade's LED headlamps provide a more bejeweled appearance during the day and signature look at night. At the automaker's request, they echo the Cadillac's LED tall taillights, said Siegfried Hetz, Hella's product engineering specialist.
"We could have designed these to look any way we wanted, but working with Cadillac, they wanted a stacked appearance," he said.
Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with AutoPacific, an automotive marketing and consulting firm, said consumers should expect to see more vehicles with LED headlamps in the future.
"They offer a lot more freedom and designers will take advantage of that," she said. "Especially in vehicles that promote high style."
High-end vehicles such as the Cadillac Escalade Platinum make the perfect platform to debut a new technology, Brinley added.
"It's a way for manufacturers to offset the cost of something that's new and expensive," she said. "Elements like LED headlights can make a vehicle pop. It can increase the image factor and the wow factor."
Down the road, designs may offer even more "wow," Veitner said.
"Right now, the LED headlamp was designed inside the Escalade's casing," he said. "In the future, designers won't be limited by things like that because it will be part of the vehicle's original design." Recent technological advances allowed Hella to incorporate the LEDs into the headlamps, said Daniel Veitner, Hella's vice president of marketing.
"Red LEDs have been around for 20 or 30 years, but only recently have we been able to ramp up the brightness," he said. "By 2010, we should have LED lights that can burn brighter than (high-intensity discharge) lights today."
Hella uses free-form glass projection lenses to aim the intense light to different zones in front of the Escalade Platinum. The Cadillac headlamp uses five LEDs for the low beam and adds two more for high-beam projection. LEDs also run the parking lights. All are encased inside a single housing.
However, the new headlamps offer more than good vision for the driver at night, Hella and Cadillac officials said. They let everyone identify the vehicle.
"We're giving more attention to how a Cadillac looks at night," said Jim Taylor, Cadillac's general manager. "These headlamps will help give the Escalade Platinum a very distinctive appearance."

Mystery solved

would be cool

They arent going to put the same headlights that go on a 60k SUV on a Camaro.

I hate to tell you. But honestly, I would be happier with Projectors or just Halogens...

yea your right..:(
Them there Escasleds have a big honkin 6.2 w/ 6 speed auto that will never make it to the 'Maro either...;)

Seriously, LED headlamp technology is the coming thing, & as the article states, it's a whole lot easier, & cost effective to design this into a new vehicle, than one that's out already...

Could be why Fbodfather is always is telling us, that the headlamps aren't ready yet...:D

Interesting. :)

It would be cool as an option. I know that the Opel Insigna will feature a high tech adaptive LED lighting system that will totaly blow away all its European counterparts with 7 different settings. I dont know if they said it will be standard or optional.
One thing I dont get is that LEDs are cheaper to produce, use less energy, and are brighter, they are only on Luxury cars and trucks?
I hope that Camaro has LED tail lights, and think that Vette needs to get themselves one...

yea your right..:(
Them there Escasleds have a big honkin 6.2 w/ 6 speed auto that will never make it to the 'Maro either...;)

Seriously, LED headlamp technology is the coming thing, & as the article states, it's a whole lot easier, & cost effective to design this into a new vehicle, than one that's out already...

Could be why Fbodfather is always is telling us, that the headlamps aren't ready yet...:D

Ok, I understand your comparison.

But comparing putting a new LED technology into a car vs. GM putting thier 100 year old small block design that already has all its costs covered is a very big difference.

I got news for you, the only difference between Caddy V8's and Chevy V8's is the engine covers and quiter exhausts.

You cant compare the price of mass produced engines to LED headlights, I mean, I understand where you are coming from, and you are right, it is easier to work it into a new vehicle. However, the camaro needs to be a low cost competitor to the mustang, and if they start slapping on options and equipment that you can get on an Escalade, its not going to stay cheap for long.

Ok, I understand your comparison.

But comparing putting a new LED technology into a car vs. GM putting thier 100 year old small block design that already has all its costs covered is a very big difference.

I got news for you, the only difference between Caddy V8's and Chevy V8's is the engine covers and quiter exhausts.

You cant compare the price of mass produced engines to LED headlights, I mean, I understand where you are coming from, and you are right, it is easier to work it into a new vehicle. However, the camaro needs to be a low cost competitor to the mustang, and if they start slapping on options and equipment that you can get on an Escalade, its not going to stay cheap for long.

"it's a whole lot easier, & cost effective to design this into a new vehicle"

They already have the technology in the back of the vehicle. It only makes since to put it in the front now.

Just because something is in a Cadillac doesn't mean the Camaro won't get it *cough*3.6L V6*cough*.

They arent going to put the same headlights that go on a 60k SUV on a Camaro.

I hate to tell you. But honestly, I would be happier with Projectors or just Halogens...

GM is following a "driver's" theme with this car. Interesting headlamps do make a car "pop" especially if it's geared towards drivers and/or young(er) buyers.

I'd be ecstatic if GM offered HID's in the Camaro. I'd be smitten if they offered LED headlamps.

VW did a great thing with the GTI--they put auto-level HID's in all GTI models as standard equipment. They are a coveted offering in that market of vehicles in the low-mid $20k range. They also offer the same setup on the Passat and Touareg which have both been $50k+ premium vehicles at some point in their model offerings.

Maybe HID's with LED's in the halos?

I wouldn't consider the mystery solved...but this is def. a little nudge towards LEDs. At least now, we know GM has developed them, and plans on implementing them into cars, and trucks. :thumb:

I kinda do think we'll get them, though. The "Pop" factor of this car is going to be a pivotal selling point for this car. (Not that it's lacking in "pop" as it is.:D)

One thing I dont get is that LEDs are cheaper to produce, use less energy, and are brighter, they are only on Luxury cars and trucks?
I hope that Camaro has LED tail lights, and think that Vette needs to get themselves one...

The amount of LED's you have to use and the extra engineering it takes to to make LED lights effective I would think still make the incandesent to cheapie . When u start talking higher power LED's with wide viewing angles the price goes up up up .

You cant even get the LED headlights on the lower end Escalades , you can only get them with that top of the line package , and their not available on any other Cadillac . Why would a Camaro get them ?

What I could see , that would be quite cost effective is a >optional< bi-Xenon projector with HID and adaptive forward lighting . GM has quite a few cars around the world that use the Hella E55 adaptive projector , including the Astra ...which is an economy car .

Due to their complexity , I still think it will be a few years before LED headlights are more prominent .

No way, i heard the 5th gen is going to have regular ancient non-halogen incandescent sealed beams becuase the focus groups really dug the dim, yellowish light output compared to the ill-matched, anonymous, disjoint mainstream headlights out there today, especially lame ass stuff like projectors and HIDs. This is a camaro, it's unique damnit. If you want to see where you're going, go buy a BMW you yuppie scum!

No way, i heard the 5th gen is going to have regular ancient non-halogen incandescent sealed beams becuase the focus groups really dug the dim, yellowish light output compared to the ill-matched, anonymous, disjoint mainstream headlights out there today, especially lame ass stuff like projectors and HIDs. This is a camaro, it's unique damnit. If you want to see where you're going, go buy a BMW you yuppie scum!

I would be VERY disappointed in GM if this were the case. It's a terrible example of design by committee and it would hurt the car in the marketplace. Fact is, a lot of people want HID - the absence of it will therefore hurt the car. I'll still buy one, and enthusiasts will, but folks who are on the fence and are considering other cars might stay away - and to get to 100,00+ per year, you need to get the undecided.

LED's would be AWESOME - and I'm not sure the marketing would be hard to swallow. All GM has to do is highlight the long life and folks will be more accepting......accepting enough to pay more initially? :shrug: I dunno. I would, but that's hardly an inidicator. And if GM offers LED as an option, people could pay if they wanted it - might be a nice way to gage interest in future model years. All that said, I don't think we'll see LED's on the Camaro until a generation or two down the road.

The more I think about it, I don't think GM would give LED headlamps to the Camaro unless the corvette got them first.

So maybe we'll at least see bi-xenon or adaptive bi-xenon with halos?

At the very least it will be an intelligent vehicle--it tells you when the brake fluid is low and if the hood is open...That's more than I've seen most mid $20k V6 cars do :cool:

We're getting excited about headlamps?

Uh...OK. ;)

We're getting excited about headlamps?

Uh...OK. ;)

Jumping up and down , errrr.....no . Something different than the same old dead horse round and round topics yes ;) :D

I designed and built these headlights for my Cobalt SS , so I do care about the latest in lighting technogy from a looks standpoint and functionality standpoint . It would be nice if the 2010 Camaro was at least as up to date with lighting technology as Mazda 3 or Opel Astra ;)

http://cobaltss.net/gallery/files/2/4/3/5/rota1.jpg

The more I think about it, I don't think GM would give LED headlamps to the Camaro unless the corvette got them first.

So maybe we'll at least see bi-xenon or adaptive bi-xenon with halos?

At the very least it will be an intelligent vehicle--it tells you when the brake fluid is low and if the hood is open...That's more than I've seen most mid $20k V6 cars do :cool:

You never know, sometimes things get to other cars before the Corvette gets it, 1967 Camaro was the only Chevy with the new 350cid engine, Vette didn't get it until 1968.
Clyde

Lets keep some faith. One thing we can be sure of is that chevy wont let us down.

Jumping up and down , errrr.....no . Something different than the same old dead horse round and round topics yes ;) :D

I designed and built these headlights for my Cobalt SS , so I do care about the latest in lighting technogy from a looks standpoint and functionality standpoint . It would be nice if the 2010 Camaro was at least as up to date with lighting technology as Mazda 3 or Opel Astra ;)

http://cobaltss.net/gallery/files/2/4/3/5/rota1.jpg

Do you have any images with the lights on?

Do you have any images with the lights on?

PM sent

The amount of LED's you have to use and the extra engineering it takes to to make LED lights effective I would think still make the incandesent to cheapie . When u start talking higher power LED's with wide viewing angles the price goes up up up .

You cant even get the LED headlights on the lower end Escalades , you can only get them with that top of the line package , and their not available on any other Cadillac . Why would a Camaro get them ?

What I could see , that would be quite cost effective is a >optional< bi-Xenon projector with HID and adaptive forward lighting . GM has quite a few cars around the world that use the Hella E55 adaptive projector , including the Astra ...which is an economy car .

Due to their complexity , I still think it will be a few years before LED headlights are more prominent .


I think we will get projector beams standard, as im sure the upcoming revamped Mustang will get them. HID's will probably be optional, perhaps standard on upper trip models. What would be cool is with all cars, the halo ring acts like a LED high beam, giving extra light when needed.
I can also expect LED tail lights, as they are making thier way across the entire board. Hell, I can get a set of awesome LED tail lights for my 72 for 180 bucks, for a car that was designed back when 8 tracks were top notch technology.

how does one design and build headlamps exactly?