Another REAR LIGHTS thread. Thoughts please.

[Chapppers]

So, following on slightly from the other thread I've been thinking about this for a while and have come up with some of my own designs.

Bear in mind mine are just concepts and currently I can't even figure out how to make them (easily). The concept is based loosely on the MP4-12C's rear lights.

I have heard (or read?), rightly or wrongly, that the rear clam of the M12 is a source of some aerodynamic crappery and that at any reasonable speed it acts as a bit of a parachute. I believe some of you have even cut holes to allow air to escape.

My design encompasses this by venting through the light holes but still maintaining the lighting position by using thin LED strips. I have a friend who is a bit of a whizzkid for electronics and wiring who would help me with that bit.

So anyway I knocked a few up in CAD with varying degrees of plausibility:

These lenses don't exist:


These whole LED units exist but would be ugly:


These might be possible but reeeeallly expensive to make:


Here are the last ones photoshopped onto my car:


So, opinions please? Do I soldier on? Do they look any good? Is the idea based in any kind of reality? Is someone going to see this post and go off and nick the idea? (Find out next week on Batman... )

[Hollowpockets]

Good idea, regarding the aero, I think the problem is as much the size of the rear clam causing huge drag as it is the pressure from the wheel arch, (which those lights would cure). Love the look of them!

[andygtt]

ive been planning something similar as I don't like the round lights or the US ones... i'm also planning similar thing for the front lights

[Gadgeroonie]

i like them

you can buy strips of leds that could be used here

where would the rear reflector go ?

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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flexible-Car-Strip-Bulb-...

Edited by Gadgeroonie on Wednesday 16th November 17:09

[Chapppers]

The MP4-12C has its reflectors near its splitter, so we could do the same maybe. Yeah strips of LEDs are good but it's the diffused light that I want that's the hard bit.

[Gadgeroonie]

what do you mean by diffused light ?

[Chapppers]

Gadgeroonie said:

what do you mean by diffused light ?

A lot of LED lights have many small dots because of the individual LEDs. I'd try to get something closer to a constant glow. I'd probably fail, but it would be nice to try

[Jamescmr2]

these look cool, i like the concept

[Chapppers]

Thanks, yeah so I'll get to making some prototype bits and see how they come out. Will keep this thread updated with the progress. As you can imagine, it'll probably be a while before anything good is made!

[jdearden]

carbon wrapped maybe??? ;-)
on a serious note i like the look of them.