Eurolight Performance Report

["Fred Munro" <munrof@isys.ca>]

    I had my first good opportunity to really check out the new Eurolights
on the '91 200q last night. A 75 km late night drive, black as the inside of
a boot, light snow flurries, open empty highway. Spent the first few km
loafing along behind a Purolator van, letting the oil temp come up, and
marvelling at the good low beam visibility and sharp cutoff. Powered past
the van, flipped on the high beams, and Holy Sh...eepskins, Batman! These
aren't headlights, they're an optical weapons suite!
    Primary instinctive response:         These lights are too bright!
    Secondary reasoned response:    YES!!!!

    Baseline data: Bosch H4/H3 Eurolights, stock wattage "UV free" halogen
bulbs, low beams powered by the stock circuit, high beams powered via relays
from the alternator.

    Low Beam Observations:
    Good visibility to 100m (~300ft for the Metric challenged) to the front.
Good visibility of roadside signs due to angled cutoff pattern. The sharp
cutoff gives excellent visibility in snow - only very slight illumination of
snow flurries above the dash level due, I think, to the city lights which
radiate light in all directions.

    High Beam Observations:
    WAHOO! Phil must wear shades with his 540 watts, because these things
are almost too bright at 240 watts. Most of the light is concentrated at 200
metres, but visibility is excellent to 400 metres - you could see a black
cat on a black night at 400 m. Illuminates reflective road signs and markers
at 1.5 km. Visibility in snow is surprising good; the lights must have a
very coherent focus with very little upward scatter.
    The night speed ceiling has increased dramatically with these lights -
the truly excellent visibility now makes night driving as secure as day.
They show up the DOT lights as the pathetic POS they truly are - it is
criminal to inflict those lights on drivers.
    The only complaint I had about my Audi is now a thing of the past. If
you are considering Eurolights and drive at night, do yourself a favour -
get them now!

Fred Munro
'91 200q  261k km (here comes the sun...)