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Ingolstadt ... The range of equipment available for the Audi R8
sports car now includes the first full-LED headlamp. In addition to the daytime
running light which features 24 LEDs per headlamp, light-emitting diodes are
also used for the turn signals, the low-beam and the high-beam headlights. The
Euro 3,590 option rounds out the list of equipment available for the high-tech,
mid-engine sports car.
The earlier launch of LED technology at the front of the car
required a waiver by the European Union. The prominent advantages are lower
energy consumption and a colour that more closely resembles daylight, provides
greater contrast and is easier on the human eye. LEDs are also non-wearing,
require a lower voltage, are compact and offer greater design freedom.
The new full-LED headlamp represents the pinnacle of Audi's
lighting strategy. The use of LEDs already enjoys a long tradition. This
innovative technology has previously been used in production vehicles for tail
light functions, brake lights and daytime running lights. Since early 2003, Audi
has also used the semiconductor technology in a number of concept cars to
implement some or all of the lighting functions at the front of the car.
A strip-shaped fog lamp was first introduced at the Detroit
Auto Show in January 2003. That same year, the Audi Nuvolari quattro showing the
first full-LED headlamp was a highlight of the Geneva Auto Show. And the Le Mans
quattro – a legitimate predecessor to the Audi R8 – illuminated the Frankfurt
night with LEDs on the eve of the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show.
Additional concept cars and many refinements to the light
source and headlamp geometry followed. This technological highlight is now
available as an option for the Audi R8, where it joins other very well-known
high-tech components such as the aluminum Audi Space Frame, ceramic brakes and
the mid-mounted V8 engine with FSI technology.
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