I noticed the CTS tail lamps over the weekend for the first time. The press kit calls this lighting element a LED "light pipe" for the rear marker lamp. But for me and a few others here, it looks like an incandescent or fluorescent bulb; LEDs are pretty small. The Engineering Editor said that perhaps there are several LEDs distributed throughout, but the illumination seems too uniform for that. And the Director of Vehicle Testing said the pipe reminded him of this thing. In any event, the light pipe looks good and conveys the vertical styling theme of the tail lamps. Another great styling detail on a sharp car.
Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 11,461mi
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zomg nitpicking.
It looks like my Xmass lights for the house decoration.
Perhaps if you look more into it you will find the switch that enables playing instrumental versions of popular Xmass songs when pressing the brakes.
It's the same technology behind BMW's angel eye headlights. If you look on youtube for diy angle eye's there are videos on how they work.
One styling feature of the Caddy I could like...
Light pipes are usually made of acrylic and will have the LED light source at one end (sometimes both ends). The light will pass through the tube to another area or in this case the light can be seen passing through the tube. Many new car instrumentations use small LED light pipes to light up the various gauges.
That's pretty hot. Though You'd think there's an easier, non-LED way to do this.
BMW started using horizontal LED "light pipes" on its taillights with the 2000 M5. The '00 M5 also introduced angel eyes (the rest of the 5-Series line got them for 2001). BMW has since applied both of these concepts as signature styling elements on all of its lineup.
The M5 got "angel eyes" and CELIS tails MY 2001, same as the rest of the 5-series lineup.
I think it's fugly, makes the rear end look too tall. The rear is the only part of the CTS I don't like (and it's not being updated for '09). Why would anyone want to 'convey a vertical styling theme' on a sports sedan? It makes it look narrow and awkward from behind.
I actually like the way Cadillac, Audi and BMW have taken something as simple as lighting and made it into a serious eye catching design feature.
I see a white BMW 335i coupe on the way to work every morning and everytime those "angel eyes" get my (positive) attention. Its like the car is looking at me, I like it.
Thanks for your comments, the acrylic info, and angel eyes video - I'll check it out.
And I do love the Angel Eyes look.
One other thing: the light pipe is certainly different from everyone else who pack a gagillion LEDs under a tail lamp lens.
Regards,
Snake Doc
Don't forget they are using a similar white application in the front light clusters. This car is very distinctive at night from behind as nothing on the road features anything like it.
PS- LEDs are used for the light pipes because they are compact and do not need ballasts. They do resemble the neon tail lamps of the Lincoln Mark VIII but these should be much more reliable and won't ever have to be replaced.
phinneas519,
I think LEDs are the easy way to do this... With a single LED at one end (that probably never needs to be replaced) you can just stick a tube in the taillight wherever you want it. If you went with a tube bulb or something you would have to make that part removable so that you could replace it. That sounds a lot more complex and expensive to me.
BMW calls its headlight rings "corona." Angel eyes is from the aftermarket. Either way, they're a cool signature.
I like the Caddy's light pipes. It is just as cool. Hopefully, the other automakers will keep to their own "signatures," but I'm not putting much faith in that. Look how they copied the Bangle butt.
The new SRX will have light pipes as well. I think the revised XLR has them too.
camaro will have light rings like BMW models.