BMW

BMW BMW

When the production BMW i8 hits the streets this fall, it will be the first car in the world to offer laser headlight technology. Whether these state-of-the-art lights actually make it to American roads remains to be seen, but at least Europeans will benefit from improved nighttime visibility.

PHOTOS: 2015 BMW i8 Coupe

You would be forgiven for thinking that Audi actually conceived this new technology based on how it was promoted on the new R18 e-tron quattro and the Sport Quattro Concept at CES. In fact, BMW debuted the laser lights on the second-generation version of its Vision EfficientDynamics concept at Frankfurt in 2011.



BMW BMW

The i8 will be available with laser-powered high-beams as an optional upgrade to the standard high-intensity LED light system. BMW claims the new lights double the illumination range of the high-beams to 600 meters and are 30 percent more energy-efficient than LEDs.

PHOTOS: BMW i8 Concept Spyder

Fortunately, oncoming drivers won't need to worry about lasers shining right in their eyes. The lights work by shining laser diodes onto a fluorescent phosphorous-coated plate that emits a full-spectrum white light which shines onto the reflector. Because the laser diodes are one-tenth the size of conventional LEDs and more powerful, the reflectors can also be up to one-tenth the size.



BMW BMW

With lights that can be so much smaller, designers have much more flexibility in how they shape the face of the car. For the i8, the height of the laser high-beam reflectors has been reduced from an already slim 3.5 inches to less than 1.2 inches.

PHOTOS: BMW i8 Supercar Nears Production

The combination of exceptionally bright and natural-looking light should dramatically improve visibility when driving at night, though it remains to be seen if they will trigger the same types of complaints from other drivers that accompanied the debut of HID headlamps a decade ago.



BMW BMW

Given the restrictive NHTSA lighting regulations that have so far prevented Audi from introducing its Matrix LED lamps, it's anyone's guess when laser lights will be available.

SEE THIS: There are Playstation icons in the Mercedes-Benz Vision GT headlights

When Audi debuted the first LED headlamps on the R8 in 2008, they were a $5,600 option, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see BMW ask for a similar premium for the i8's fancy new lights.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io