The other day I wrote an ode to my favorite Porsche headlights, and the reaction was honestly not as harsh as I expected. That’s good! It means we as a people are beginning to respect and understand the fried egg, which warms my heart. We’re healing folks.
Anyway, enough about my favorite headlights; I want to know what yours are. The headlights are the eyes of the car face, no matter what Pixar thinks, and they’re largely responsible for that knee-jerk impression you get the very first time you see a car, so this question is a big deal.
Headlights have also evolved in a profound way over the long history of the automobile, but especially in the least five years. About halfway through the 2010s, manufacturers ramped up experimentation with more creative light designs on the front and back, encouraged by the falling cost of LEDs. That ambition has trickled down to more affordable vehicles today, like the new Hyundai Tucson with its repeating triangle motif that seamlessly blends into the grille and goes invisible when not in use. I think the effect looks pretty cool!
There are a lot of different ways the responses could go here, then. I expect many pop-up headlights, which is expected and fair, but I’m also wondering if any newer designs have risen to instant classic status within the community. Let’s find out!