MY 24 CT std headlights

[SergeyIndy]

Well, it's an urban legend that it has been legal for a while now. It's the story the current administration would like the world to believe, since they want credit for it. The reality is that there was a bill passed in congress directing NHTSA to make it legal nearly 2 years ago, however the standard is not yet set, so nobody can release any such headlights for US usage. Long story short, rather than grandfathering the existing global standard and making improvements on that over time, the government bureaucrats decided they will reinvent the wheel, because they want their rules to be better. Last I heard, they were still arguing with automakers whether or not their ideas were even feasible.

Whether or not Porsche will ever certify the new matrix headlights for US use will depend on whether the new rules will even allow this design, and whether Porsche wants to pay for qualifying cars already sold.

I think this is what's going on with the matrix lights situation in the US .

Regulations passed in 2022 have very strict spec not met by the current matrix light design. This means to me we will not see matrix lights in the US any time soon.


https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-on-adaptive-headlights-in-the-us-229883.html

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[Fun TC Driving]

Would you spent $1,700 for the matrix HD headlight option if you were getting a 2026 Taycan — as we agree they will not magically appear next year?

 

[SergeyIndy]

Would you spent $1,700 for the matrix HD headlight option if you were getting a 2026 Taycan — as we agree they will not magically appear next year?

I can chime in on this. I would not for the following reasons:

- US regulations limit brightness so I am pretty sure there is no advantage to the HD Matrix lights over Standard for the Taycan
- The big disadvantage of the HD Matrix lights its their replacement cost out of warranty. My dealer told me that on the Cayenne the HD Lights cost $16k to replace.

Personally, I downgraded from Matrix to Standard lights when I bought my 2020 Cayenne, because of the no advantage reasons, higher cost replacement, and they look better than Matrix with endless web of squares. On the new Taycan each headlight option has unique look vs. the original Taycan where I cannot tell the difference with the lens so dark and compact.

 

[Fun TC Driving]

Thank you very much.

 

[whitex]

the original Taycan where I cannot tell the difference with the lens so dark and compact.

The difference it subtle, but there if you know what you look for.

 

[whitex]

Would you spent $1,700 for the matrix HD headlight option if you were getting a 2026 Taycan — as we agree they will not magically appear next year?

Some may want the matrix option hoping they can enable this functionality themselves if Porsche does not. It has been done on the pre-2025 Taycan, though I should mention that it's not a simple recoding (it's still just recoding, but a lot more complex than enabling Euro tail lights with amber turn signals for example, or Scandinavian DRL, or enabling/disabling beeping, other optimizations).

 

[chun]

Some may want the matrix option hoping they can enable this functionality themselves if Porsche does not. It has been done on the pre-2025 Taycan, though I should mention that it's not a simple recoding (it's still just recoding, but a lot more complex than enabling Euro tail lights with amber turn signals for example, or Scandinavian DRL, or enabling/disabling beeping, other optimizations).

Scandinavian DRL?
Sorry for derailing. Can you link any thread or anything on this? I am curious on the topic

 

[whitex]

Scandinavian DRL?
Sorry for derailing. Can you link any thread or anything on this? I am curious on the topic

Nothing complicated - it's just turning on the rear light bar (tail lights) together with front DRL.

 

[W1NGE]

I can chime in on this. I would not for the following reasons:

- US regulations limit brightness so I am pretty sure there is no advantage to the HD Matrix lights over Standard for the Taycan
- The big disadvantage of the HD Matrix lights its their replacement cost out of warranty. My dealer told me that on the Cayenne the HD Lights cost $16k to replace.

Personally, I downgraded from Matrix to Standard lights when I bought my 2020 Cayenne, because of the no advantage reasons, higher cost replacement, and they look better than Matrix with endless web of squares. On the new Taycan each headlight option has unique look vs. the original Taycan where I cannot tell the difference with the lens so dark and compact.

Matrix lights offer specific features over standard led lights.

HD matrix extends this to include things like special illumination when passing through narrow roads such as through road works.

Standard matrix are really good as it is but it seems there's money in it to offer even more sophistication.

 

[whitex]

HD matrix extends this to include things like special illumination when passing through narrow roads such as through road works.

Unlikely to be enabled in the US today. Current regulation require the headlights to be operated as one solid beam (two actually, one for low beams, one for high beams). The light beam can swivel, but cannot change shape.

 

[W1NGE]

Unlikely to be enabled in the US today. Current regulation require the headlights to be operated as one solid beam (two actually, one for low beams, one for high beams). The light beam can swivel, but cannot change shape.

Yeah I understand that but my point was to highlight the differences between either option which as we know for NA is a moot point.

 

[Fun TC Driving]

So will be my spending (NOT) the extra $1,700 thanks on the Matrix HD option to all your collective input.

 

[whitex]

So will be my spending (NOT) the extra $1,700 thanks on the Matrix HD option to all your collective input.

Well, I don't mean to throw a wrench into your decision making mechanism, but just read that there finally is a car in the US for sale with regulation matrix headlights ENABLED!
https://www.theautopian.com/the-riv...ecial-headlight-technology-and-it-is-amazing/

So not the questions are:

1. Will Porsche ever enable heir current design HD matrix headlights in the US?
2. If yes to #1, will they also enable already sold cars (not always a straightforward decision if it has to apply to older model year, as it would require recertification of that model year).

Tesla is apparently also itching to enable them, but Rivian beat them to the punch (and is enabling already sold cars too!). Now, can Porsche catch up to Rivian?

 

[Fun TC Driving]

There are two potential reasons to spend the $1,700 option the Matrix HD headlights on a new Taycan. First, if down the road a year or three Porsche issues an update to make them fully function retroactively as they already do in Canada, Europe etc. Secondly, if anyone chooses to spend that money now because they like their looks better than the standard ones,

 

[Fun TC Driving]

Just Nick Murray released video re comparison of Porsche’s worldwide HD matrix headlights versus what we get on U.S. Porsches even when we pay for the Matrix Design headlight upgrade (though he comparison tested on a 911 not on a Taycan).

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