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What Exactly Is The Porsche Four-Point Headlamp Principle?

Porsche is opening up with regard to its headlight design philosophy – a philosophy they’ve dubbed the “four-point principle.”

Originally only found on top-of-the-line Porsche models – usually those with a “turbo” somewhere in the name – to distinguish them from lesser models, the Porsche four-point headlamp components are an optional extra on some of the firm’s less prestigious cars, too. Sometimes they are paired with a supplementary Xenon bulb, sometimes without, but the principle is always the same: a square drawn from four distinct LED bulbs.

Why four, exactly? “Four points around a module are ideal. Three are harder to configure. And more would be too many,” says Porsche Designer Heinz Redlich. As automotive headlamps become more and more of a brand signature for automakers, it’s a practical necessity that Porsche finds their own unique sign. The use of LED bulbs in place of Xenon is a matter of function; everything else is all about the visage.

As for me, personally, I feel that on a curvy, complex sculpture like any contemporary Porsche, the four-point principle introduces two out-of-place, simple, angular squares that don’t quite belong. But so long as Porsche is happy.

The jury is out as to whether the Porsche four-point headlamp will be replaced on higher-end models, to yet again distinguish them from the marque’s more entry-level cars. What Porsche is claiming, however, is no intention of necessarily following what lighting tech seems to be trending at any given moment.

So much for a laser light Porsche.

Aaron Birch is an automotive enthusiast and writer/filmmaker from Detroit, MI. As a rule, he only buys cars older than himself.

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