eXceL

Click above for high-res gallery of the Audi R8

The innovative R8 supercar from Audi is now available for the first time with full LED headlamps. In addition to the standard Audi-signature 24-LED running lamps it's always had, this extremely expensive option (£3,590 converts to $7,100 USD) adds LED high and low beam headlamps and LED turn signals to the front fascia of the mid-engine sports car.

The latest craze in automotive lighting, LED bulbs don't utilize a filament like halogen lamps or gas plasma like HID lamps. Instead, they create light from the movement of current across a semi-conductor chip. They are smaller, more vibration resistant, and much more efficient than traditional bulbs. According to Audi, the light from the LEDs has been designed to closely resemble daylight and provides a greater contrast to be easier on the human eye. LED illumination is also designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle. Audi is no stranger to LED lighting - it first introduced a strip-shaped fog lamp at the Detroit Auto Show back in 2003.

Gallery: 2008 Audi R8

Other languages:

• Michelin’s Active Wheel technology in detail 10-6-2008 21:26
• The Paris Auto Show Press Room Sucks: Top Ten Reasons The Paris Auto Show Press 10-6-2008 00:22
• Exclusive Video and Spy Photos: 2009 BMW Z4 10-6-2008 09:09
• Tata Nano: Tata Abandons Factory Site, Will They Ever Build The Nano? 10-6-2008 00:22
• 2009 Infiniti G37 Sedan First Drive on Inside Line 10-7-2008 17:56
• Paris 2008: Alfa Romeo Brera Ti 10-6-2008 09:10
• Euro carmakers want billions in loans, too 10-6-2008 00:22
• Miss TW Steel Holland Crowned at Zandvoort 10-6-2008 21:23
• HSCI inaugurates Phase I of 2nd plant in Tapukara 10-6-2008 00:22
• Chevrolet Traverse Production Begins in Tennessee 10-6-2008 00:22