![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
No, if you don't have xenons you get reflectors instead. The only exception to this was the F10 which did have them but since the facelift has xenon as standard.
Supposedly first customer to get new 2014 M3
- Thread starter Tomcat825
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No, if you don't have xenons you get reflectors instead. The only exception to this was the F10 which did have them but since the facelift has xenon as standard.
They do look noticeably inferior, projectors really enhance the front end. In this age where bling is crucial on premium cars it is surprising that 1989 Nissans still have better front light housings.
It was annoying for me. My passats both had projectors so I fitted HID's into them, no issues.
Both of my A3's have(d) reflectors - can't fit HID's. Xenons were a £1k option, but it costs more than that to retrofit them if you have a pearlescant paint which I do.
Both of my A3's have(d) reflectors - can't fit HID's. Xenons were a £1k option, but it costs more than that to retrofit them if you have a pearlescant paint which I do.
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Reflectors rather than projectors also reduce cost of repair and therefore influence Thatcham group ratings and cost of ownership metrics.
Or fox
Most people if they want improved headlights buy Xenons otherwise its what the car has on it and they really couldn't care less...If people don't care what lights look like why are some manufacturers so keen to put LED's on for indicators etc? People obviously do care, at least to some extent. It's part of the styling of the car, of course people care. They might answer 'no' to a 'do you care what housing type is fitted to your car' but they'd surely answer 'yes' to 'do you care about front end styling' of which the sort of housing fitted can have a noticeable effect.
I would have thought the care is higher now than ever given how many cars are now sold off the back of style over substance, not the case back in the 90's when even an E34 had them.
Quick idea of the difference, LCI v pre LCI E60. Both are non-Xenon fitted cars:
Whilst I am happy to concede many people wouldnt care which one they had in that photo I am convinced I am not the only one to find the top one more visually appealing than the lower one, surely?! It just looks better!
Jonnycoupe said:
BMW list price of a 2007 pre LCI E60 headlight unit: £476
BMW list price of a 2007 LCI E60 headlight unit: £510
An insignificant difference probably mostly accounted for by the LED turn signals rather than the LCI light has a projector. There is no material cost of repair reduction purely from omitting projectors there, is there?
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[TW]Fox;26217123 said:
Because, in the overall scheme of things, the front end when viewed from any distance most people couldn't care less, they see the car as having headlights not ohhh look shiny projectors...some people might prefer the new LED DLRs over a standard bulb but when asked do they want a £xxx option to add those and they come with Xenons they will be less bothered, and the company car market is even less likely to care.
If nobody cares about headlights why are lights almost always the main focus when a car is facelifted? Look at the front of the facelift v pre facelift E60 M Sport I posted above - the lights are the ONLY change! Why change them if nobody cares or notices?
People care, they just don't care enough to pay £1k for Xenons just because the standard lights look a bit crap. Which is understandable.
All I'm saying is that 25 years after progress was made improving on reflectors its a shame they are not standard fit on pretty much everything, let alone premium cars. They look better, perform better and judging from the parts prices above cost about the same. We almost got to that point 15 years ago and seem to have taken a backward step since! Even humble Corsas had them...
People care, they just don't care enough to pay £1k for Xenons just because the standard lights look a bit crap. Which is understandable.
All I'm saying is that 25 years after progress was made improving on reflectors its a shame they are not standard fit on pretty much everything, let alone premium cars. They look better, perform better and judging from the parts prices above cost about the same. We almost got to that point 15 years ago and seem to have taken a backward step since! Even humble Corsas had them...
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I'm sure it does, and a real concern when knocking out Hyundai i10's.
Less so when selling £40,000 330d's
I hear they could make a further saving by giving it windup windows in the back? I'm sure when asked most people wouldn't name rear electric windows as a feature they really want.
Agree, I think the E60 and the original 1 series are both good-looking cars that sort of defined a "new" era of styling.
The F10, whilst not a "bad" looking car, is pretty uninspiring to look at (sorry Fox) and just blends in with all the other cars on the road.
This new M3 just look busy and there's weird cuts and slashes and swage lines everywhere and it just looks over-designed. Dare I say it, the white one looks a bit "ricer-ish" in the photos in the OP.
All IMHO of course.
Hyundai would fit lasers and hover engines to their cars if they had the technology to put in them. Low & Mid range badges need to make their cars as attractive to the buyer as possible to shift them.[TW]Fox;26217387 said:I'm sure it does, and a real concern when knocking out Hyundai i10's.
Less so when selling £40,000 330d's
Is is also why a cheap Hyundai has cruise as standard but a £70k Porsche does not.