Some very high-end vehicles are now running HID (high-intensity 
discharge) headlamps.  This is a favorite topic of discussion on the 
BIKECURRENT listserv, which deals with bicycle electronics.

The price is very high.  Not only are the bulbs (Welsh-Allan et al) in 
excess of $100, with limited lifetime, but the electronics are very 
sophisticated.  The bulb needs a very high starting voltage, and then 
settles back into a lower voltage state.

Note also that there is a significant time to come up to full power.

> Over the weekend I was driving along and saw a new mercades coming up
> behind me with very well focused headlights that had a blue hue to
> them.  They were really bright.  
> 
> Has anyone seen them or know about them?  Could I get them or 
something
> like 'em for my 86GL?

Daniel R. Herbert
dan.herbert@utoronto.ca

1995 EV-Winnebago

"Don't take life so seriously.
You aren't going to get out of it alive anyway."

Hanlon's Razor:  "Never attribute to malice that 
which is adequately explained by stupidity"