headlight
 

What do you think about the performance of the 4G headlight? Is it same, better, or worse than previous generations?

I notice the projector sitting all the way back. Does that limit the width of the beam pattern?

seems about the same, never liked the bi-xenon high beams of the 3G until now, the high beams are weak.

^^ Even if you dont take the bi-xenon into account the output of 3G TL projector outperforms the 4G by eons, no comparison what so ever, the width, intensity and over all evenness of the 3G is way better than the 4G, I should know this as I am looking at them both as we speak and have compared them both yesterday.

Perhaps slightly off topic; but what car has the best stock headlights output wise?

^^ Well in stock form and ONLY considering low beams then here is a break down

Best OEM projector in standard size : AP1 (early model) Honda S2000 low beam projectors. Why is it such a good projector? Clear lens from factory, curved cut off shield, awesome bowl to attain an even crisp very wide even output.

here is what output looks like

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/7442/dsc02093cx3.jpg

Best OEM projector regardless of size : 04~06 Lexus LS430 due to their super wide beam

Why is this projector so good? A traditional projector only utilizes half of a bulb's output this is due to the cut off shield. The cut of shield basically cuts off light above a certain point to not blind the on coming traffic, that is why you dont see light beyond a certain point. Due to this the rest of the light output from the bulb never makes it out of the projector. In case of the LS430 projectors the projector is fitted with a special shield that has a hole towards the underside to let some of that unused light out of it which then gets reflected by the bowl molded in and then at the end it gets thrown to one side. These projectors are side specific meaning left one is different from the right one, the right one throws extra light towards the right (passenger side) and the left one throws extra light towards the left (driver side).

output

http://img274.echo.cx/img274/1029/pix96fv.jpg

http://img274.echo.cx/img274/4255/pix103ej.jpg

THe projectors are retrofitted in an E class in the above two pictures.

Thanks so much for the detailed response. Where do the TL projectors fit into the hierarchy?

That lexus output is crazy. I want that.
Yeah, where is the 4G TL fit in? No more clear len means worse output???

by the way, anybody know if the zkw len fit the new TL? In other words, is the len size the same for 3G and 4G?

The 4G projector is low beam only, most low beam projectors take 2.5" diameter lenses. 3G projectors are bi-xenons and they take 3" lenses as most bi-xenon projectors do so the ZKWs or the ZKW replicas wont fit the 4G.

4G projectors successfully take 1G TSX clear lenses, clear lenses were only available for 04-05 TSX since later 06+ model TSX projectors had fresnel lenses.

Even with the clear lens you are not able to get razor sharp cut off, it would be sharper than the stock step up but not razor sharp, this is due to the shield. I didnt have enough time to make or get one custom made for the projector to get output that would be close to S2k projectors.