Japanese Car Zone - View Single Post - Discussion About Interior Ambient Lighting

Mr. M · 12-01-2007, 03:32 AM

I had a ride in my uncle's E500 at night and I noticed that the car had lounge-like lighting from in between the vanity mirrors on the ceiling, as well as at the front passenger lights. It was beautiful to say the least and inspired me to create a thread about interior lighting.

I think it's something that most car fans overlook. Many manufacturers have claimed to have made their car to perfection but they fail to notice one important aspect: how the interior looks at night. Research has shown that a brighter interior would also made a driver more alert. Perhaps this is the reason why German cars are at the forefront of interior lighting. Just look at the S-Class's interior with the warm orange glow from under the wood trim, or the A8's futuristic white neon lights from underneath the doors. For some reason, I just don't see the same level of detail in other brands. Lexus for instance - the LS doesn't have a particularly inviting interior at night, in fact I do not remember any interior ambient lighting at all (correct me if I'm wrong). As for Maserati - the QP does have some green LEDs around, but it shines too brightly and focuses only in a specific area, and it doesn't give a lounge feeling.

This is where I think German cars excel and I think we should applaud for their attention to details such as this. I'd post some pictures but I'm having a problem finding them at the moment...

12-01-2007, 03:32 AM	#1
Mr. M Connoisseur Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 6,103 Thanks: 2,036 Thanked 1,722 Times in 925 Posts	Discussion About Interior Ambient Lighting I had a ride in my uncle's E500 at night and I noticed that the car had lounge-like lighting from in between the vanity mirrors on the ceiling, as well as at the front passenger lights. It was beautiful to say the least and inspired me to create a thread about interior lighting. I think it's something that most car fans overlook. Many manufacturers have claimed to have made their car to perfection but they fail to notice one important aspect: how the interior looks at night. Research has shown that a brighter interior would also made a driver more alert. Perhaps this is the reason why German cars are at the forefront of interior lighting. Just look at the S-Class's interior with the warm orange glow from under the wood trim, or the A8's futuristic white neon lights from underneath the doors. For some reason, I just don't see the same level of detail in other brands. Lexus for instance - the LS doesn't have a particularly inviting interior at night, in fact I do not remember any interior ambient lighting at all (correct me if I'm wrong). As for Maserati - the QP does have some green LEDs around, but it shines too brightly and focuses only in a specific area, and it doesn't give a lounge feeling. This is where I think German cars excel and I think we should applaud for their attention to details such as this. I'd post some pictures but I'm having a problem finding them at the moment...