Why do Bosch/ZKW HIDs Look Different ....?

[m3f_AMPowerJ_e8f979e5cd]

Don't get me wrong, I love my new HIDs, the way they flash on, the light output, and the way they light up the road/signs at night, but they don't look like I thought they would. I expected I guess the look of the HIDs on the 5's and X's that very focused beam of multi-color light that changed at different angles. My Bosch HIDs just look like super bright ordinary headlights from a distance. Not projectors.



Does anyone know what I am talking about?

[m3f_iNcUbUs_21_0bcd67a730]

If i've done my research correctly, these "projector" headlights still actually have a refelector in the housing somewhere that creates the blurry, non-oem look. I love the way my Dad's V10 twin-turbo diesel Touareg's projectors with 5000k HIDs look, they go from purple, to white-yellow, to blue, to pure white just from different angles of looking at the front of the car, and it looks like 2 individual beams of light; real cool.



I'm hoping there's a way to achieve this look with our cars, because if I'm going to spend $1000 on some headlights, I'd hope to have the look I am looking for. I see alot of integras with $200 HID kits and it's just insanely bright, blurry light and it doesn't look very good at all IMO.

[m3f_99Blk&Tan_6738c76028]

Yeah I would like near-OEM quality lights but am still up in the air on which ones to get. Sounds like the Depots are nice as long as they don't break. I am wondering if the ZKW HIDs are worth the money or not.

:nixweiss:

[m3f_Blackspeed]

People have commented on my Depos looking like HIDs even though they're not. I get a rainbow pattern on the ground in front of the car and what ever the bean hits. I like it but I'm looking forward to putting HIDs on the car.

Here are some pics I took a long time ago.

http://bimmerforums.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=31169

http://bimmerforums.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=31170

[m3f_orijinal_p_92d6bcd8a9]

People have commented on my Depos looking like HIDs even though they're not. I get a rainbow pattern on the ground in front of the car and what ever the bean hits. I like it but I'm looking forward to putting HIDs on the car.



i got the same thing all the time when i used to have halogens. people would ask if i had HIDs, the cutoff beam of the reflectors is misleading. but the projectors do their job.

[m3f_ndehlinger_2176e6913e]

Hella's have that OEM look and are true projectors.

[m3f_Blackspeed]

i got the same thing all the time when i used to have halogens. people would ask if i had HIDs, the cutoff beam of the reflectors is misleading. but the projectors do their job.

Can you follow those links I left and post those pics pver here. I'm sitting in time out :tongue: because I didn't :bow: and :kissass: of one of their Mods.

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

All projectors have reflectors in the back. All of them. If they didn't, you would lose about 50% of the light. Its the front lens that does the projection and the final tweak to the beam of light.



Pure reflector headlamps lack the front 'fisheye' lens. But all projector setups have a reflector in the back to project the light out.



I would say that each light varies due to patton issues.



In the ZKW beam, if you look at the very far left of the cutoff, especially with hids, you can see the color change, from white to blue.



Bosch also has the best quality optics out there.

[m3f_Blackspeed]

Here are some really crappy pics of my car with the lights on but you get the idea.

[m3f_orijinal_p_92d6bcd8a9]

did you take the pics w/ a camera phone??

[m3f_Blackspeed]

did you take the pics w/ a camera phone??

Yup pretty crappy huh :beer:

[m3f_orijinal_p_92d6bcd8a9]

yup. lol!