Remember when driving at night used to be fun? The warm glow of halogen lights, summer breeze in your hair as you set about reenacting Volkswagen’s Pink Moon commercial with whatever you had in your driveway. Unfortunately, as the brightness wars have raged on, headlight glare has really got in the way of night drive enjoyment. It’s a problem large enough to have spawned its own anti-LED-headlight subreddit, and now the government’s looking to do something about it.
Meanwhile, Porsche just teased what sure seems like a new mid-engined halo car, but there’s also a report going around that proposed gasoline-powered variants of the next Boxster and Cayman are dead. We have great news for Lotus, perhaps, but not great news for the rest of us who’ve worked reasonably hard the normal way, definitely can’t stretch to supercar money, but still want choice in the reasonably small mid-engined arena. Oh, and Honda is reportedly changing up production plans again, with the next-generation Civic sedan set to leave Indiana production in the past.
Welcome back to The Morning Dump, where we carve up the morning’s car news stories into bite-sized pieces and serve them to you hors d’oeuvres-style. Don’t worry, they’re less slimy than Vienna sausages straight out of the can. Let’s get cracking.
The Feds Want To Do Something About LED Headlight Glare
The potency of modern LED headlights is astounding if you regularly drive in rural areas with plenty of large wildlife, but if you drive a relatively low-slung car, you’re probably familiar with having your eyeballs seared by brutal glare reflected by your side-view mirrors. After years of arguments from both sides of the headlight wars, the feds finally want to do something about it beyond letting matrix headlight assemblies be matrix headlight assemblies and use their arrays to bend high-beams around oncoming cars. NHTSA has opened up public comment for an overhaul of America’s lighting standards covering more than just glare, and now’s your opportunity to chime in.
“Today’s standards do not allow automakers to deploy the latest safety-improving lighting technologies, so we are bringing key experts and stakeholders together to modernize our standards and address potential causes of glare,” said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison. “This collaborative approach will allow us to update outdated regulations, foster innovation, and keep everyone on our roads safer.”
So what’s NHTSA going after here? While LEDs are one component, this looks to be a holistic approach. New rules around automatic high-beams are on the table as those can be blinding at times. Evaluation of headlight height and aim is being pursued, and NHTSA is looking more closely at dusk sensors. Canada already implemented new headlight legislation aimed at preventing “ghost cars” driving at night with no taillights illuminated; America might be looking to do the same.
In addition to addressing glare, NHTSA seeks to revamp rules around lighting technology with an additional goal of “Harmonizing U.S. vehicle lighting regulations with international safety standards.” While adopting UNECE lighting standards seems like a long shot, never say never. Should you wish to submit comment, the deadline is Nov. 9, and you can make your voice heard at www.regulations.gov under Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1981.
Is This A New Porsche Supercar?
Shortly after midnight, Porsche teased something new. Something that very much isn’t an SUV. Something low-slung, curvy, almost certainly mid-engined, and possibly not a new Cayman. It’s called the Mission S, it’s debuting on Oct. 15, and Porsche claims it’s “our tribute to the sports car. And to the vision of Ferry Porsche.” So what exactly are we looking at here?
It’s no secret that Porsche isn’t in the strongest position it’s ever seen. A slump in profits has made the marque get aggressive, and one of the ideas floating around is a supercar sitting above the 911 in the range. Something high-margin, low-volume, and assuredly exclusive. If Porsche does it right, there’d certainly be some clients interested in a 296 GTB-sized, slightly-more-than-a-top-dog-911-priced manual mid-engined supercar, but it would be launching at a rather strange time from a sentiment perspective.
See, for years, pricing of the Porsche 911 largely kept track with inflation. Adjusted for that economic spectre, a 2001 911 Carrera was only about $3,000 more than a 2018 model when new. That’s since changed. A 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera in today’s money would carry an MSRP of $121,528. That’s more than $14,000 cheaper than what a new 911 Carrera starts at. Further up the range, things have gone even crazier. A 2018 911 GT3 had an MSRP of $143,600, or about $191,565 adjusted for inflation. A 2027 Porsche 911 GT3 stickers for $235,800 before any options. That’s an adjusted difference of $44,235. As a result, there’s a prevailing sentiment going around the Porsche community: Long-time serial owners are starting to balk.
After experiencing sticker shock pricing out a 992.2 GT3 Touring, will these owners bite on a halo supercar that sits above the 911 and presumably isn’t a hypercar? Furthermore, is this a real conquest proposition? It’s tough to say, but someone in Stuttgart has crunched the numbers and found value in them. For now, we’ll just have to sit back and wait for the debut to arrive. Mission S. How different.
Say It Ain’t So
Speaking of Porsche, a report came out today that’s a bit of a head-scratcher. See, years ago, the marque announced that the next 718 Cayman and Boxster would go all-electric. This has proven to be a controversial move, especially since there are sports car traits most electric cars still aren’t ready to embody. Most amateur motorsports venues for stuff like autocross and trackdays don’t have DC fast charging on site, and part of the whole point of a sports car is relative lightness. Batteries are heavy, even though they’ve grown more power-dense as modern EV development’s gone on. Last September, Porsche snuck a slight reversal of course into a presentation, claiming that actually, top variants of the next 718 will be available with gasoline power. Now it seems that’s all gone out the window.
According to Autocar, the next 718 Boxster and Cayman “will now be launched purely as electric models, with Porsche abandoning plans to rework the new architecture developed for them to accept combustion engines.” On paper, this makes sense, as such redevelopment would be expensive. Still, I can’t help but feel a bit sad.
The outgoing 982 Cayman and Boxster rode on the same MMB platform as the current 911 meaning that it’s theoretically possible to update the architecture to be compatible with the European Union’s GSR2 regulations. Plus, they were just so lovely to drive, magnificent road cars in all variants, and they were notably less expensive than equivalent 911s. By seemingly not going ahead with a next-gen combustion-powered 718, Porsche would be enforcing the K-shaped car market in a brutal way: Classic fun is now for people with double-barrelled names and private equity morals, not people who simply worked hard in life.
Honda Shuffles Production Again
If there’s one word that encompasses the new car market in America right now, it’s “volatility.” Shifting tariff rates and consumer demand makes long-term forecasting difficult, and Honda’s reportedly shuffling the deck yet again. Last year, the news broke that Honda was reversing course on sending next-generation Civic sedan production from Indiana to Mexico over tariff concerns. At the time, this seemed like a relatively sensible play as the current Civic is made in Indiana, but there’s been a further development. According to Automotive News, the next-generation Civic sedan is getting the boot from the Hoosier state.
Honda has delayed production of the next-generation CR-V by three months and canceled plans to build the next Civic sedan in Indiana, a supply chain source told Automotive News.
Start of production for the redesigned CR-V has been pushed to April 2027, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information has not been made public. Honda also has reduced first-year volume planned for the crossover by 6.7 percent, to 41,315 units.
The CR-V is an American favorite, by far and away the marque’s best-selling model stateside. Through the end of September, Honda sold 336,844 CR-Vs in America versus 195,135 examples of its next-most-popular model, the Civic. Despite increasing appetite for small cars, CR-V sales are ripping harder than Civic sales, and the model’s higher transaction prices look good on a balance sheet. Reportedly kicking the Civic out of Indiana could free up additional production capacity for the CR-V, and it’s not like there isn’t a North American plant capable of picking up the slack. Plans still seem to be afoot to build Civic sedans in Honda’s Canadian plant, and Mexico may remain an option.
As for the three-month production delay and reduced first-year forecast for the new CR-V, it’s possible Honda is looking across the aisle at Toyota and adjusting its own forecast based on the way production ramp-up of the new RAV4 is going. For months, Kentucky production was a little slow to get online, resulting in used RAV4 hybrids being worth more than equivalent new RAV4s due to supply being just that tight. Either way, expect a new CR-V to debut sometime in the next few months.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
I’ve always wondered why Attack In Black wasn’t absolutely massive. The Welland, Ontario-based indie rock band only released three studio albums, but right from the get-go, there was something irresistible about their sound. Polished, but not clinical, abstract but not obtuse. “Hunger of the Young” off their debut album “Marriage” is still in my rotation, and it still holds up.
The Big Question
What do you want the government to do about headlights?
Top graphic image: DepositPhotos.com
Here’s my proposal: Regardless of vehicle height, headlights shall be no more than 24 inches above the ground.
Adaptive headlights that have been legal in other countries for years but not here. I know some are finally starting to show up but I know with my Polestar 2 they didn’t get the approval to enable it so I would have to program it myself to get it working.
Reduce LED color temperature to something more yellow. Some brake lights are now getting too bright, too.
Just mandate 70’s sealed beam headlights and all will be good again.
I think a lot of the LED hate comes from misperception due to the nature of the light. Yes, they appear brighter, but I rarely experience ongoing visual effects from them. (The array that Tesla was using is the exception here. From certain angles they are terrible.)
Contrast this with 10-15 year old cars with terribly fogged headlights driving around with their high beams on. Even with the reduced light output, *that* glare is painful and leaves spots in my vision. And that is my concern about active arrays – what happens when the cars they are on become cheap used cars? They will be running with blazingly bright lights with a failed shutter system.
As for automated high beams, I’ve not had a good experience with them. In our Outback, if you have the lights set to “auto” on the stalk, it means that when you turn on high beams, they are in auto mode. Only when you turn the lights on manually do you get full control of the high beams. This is an issue for me because I find myself in many conditions where high beams are warranted, but they won’t come on in auto mode because the system thinks it sees something that isn’t an issue. But at least I have the option to override and go fully manual, which is something I’m not sure all cars have, and a regulation that may prevent manual control would be annoying.
TBQ: I’m not sure the government needs to do anything beyond enforcing existing laws.
Based on what I have seen, it seems like modern headlights aren’t blinding if aimed correctly. It appears they cause bigger problems with misaligned than older style headlights, though. I also presume misaligned headlights are illegal, but I have literally never heard of someone being pulled over for that.
It would help if mechanics/service departments routinely checked headlight aim when vehicles are brought in. Further, I have asked service departments to check the aim on my vehicle’s headlights on two occasions and was told they were unable to do that. That seems highly improbable – I presume they just didn’t want to disrupt their workflow.
It is possible I take my vehicles to lousy service departments, but it seems more likely that no one is paying attention to this. Since many drivers aren’t even aware headlight aim is something that can incorrect, it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of vehicles with blinding headlights have appropriately bright headlights that are aimed wrong.
I think most the issues are with as you said headlights that are leveled correctly (or aftermarket ones on cars not designed for LEDs or lifted bro dozers). I cannot recall anyone flashing their brights at me in the Polestar as they are leveled really well not not pointed up at peoples mirrors while the ex’s Tourx I had some people flash their brights at me.
What do I want the government to do about headlights?
Stand out in the middle of a highway one night in fast, oncoming traffic.
What about LED brake lights? There are some cars that leave me seeing spots. They need more ‘diffusion’.
It’s the opposite for turn signals. Some newer cars such as Explorers, the turn signals are not very obvious at all on a bright day.
Auto dimming headlights make sense. Blinding on coming traffic especially with streetlights doesn’t make things safer or pas ms any logic tests. Toyota brought that up almost 2 decades ago. But they didn’t listen. Auto dimming high beams is an absolute necessity as people don’t understand they have them on or where or when to use them or how to turn them off. They just think it’s an octopus on the dash and keep them on always. It’s a regional idiot issue that escaped containment. They should require the manufacturers enable it on all models that support it.
Let’s get Elon to work on dimming.
He’s dim enough, already.
His cars do appear to be part of the problem. Must be trying to find those “grey kitties”.
It’s a personal responsibility problem and the fact most people no longer have any. It is absolutely amazing how many people are running around with their high beams on permanently.
Someone on here posted in a comment some months ago that they believe the real issue is all the screens inside cars are obliterating people’s night vision and so they crank on the high beams so they can see; F everyone else.
I turned off automatic high beams in my car. I drive in the city pretty much exclusively and never have an opportunity to use them without blinding someone else.
My take on this is slightly different. I think the LEDs are so damn bright on newer cars, most people, including myself, think they have their brights on. So everyone who DOESN’T have those hyper bright LED headlights thinks FINE and leaves their brights on to combat it. A can’t beat em, join em approach.
I’ve argued with people who drive with the high beams on all the time who claim it doesn’t bother anyone else despite their lack of perspective because they apparently haven’t been followed to their destination and shot (yet). I’m, like, no, you’re blinding people and don’t care because you’re a dick, now have the balls to own it.
Start with banning any vehicles lifted off the ground from the location they were designed, crash tested and certified for use on public highways.
And those goddamn off-road light bars these brain doners use on public roads. Sometimes I wish I was in a James Bond car where I can dump a load of tire shredders behind me.
Would this ban then also affect lowered cars? What about a car with a worn suspension but new parts bring it up a little higher then stock because tolerances are different for parts for a vehicle from 30+ years ago? Which has happened to both my Firebird and my D250. Kind of a slippery slope for vehicles if you are saying they shouldn’t be modified from stock.
After playing a very, very small part in harmonizing US and European electrical standards for hazardous locations (1996 NEC article 505) I realized the only way it gets done is having an economic plus for the parties involved.
My favorite segment of the industry is lightning, and yes oncoming headlights can be a problem and has been since candles have a tendency to extinguish while driving.
Find the money and can be harmonized.
Now I know what it feels like when I send YouTube videos to a Canadian friend and they can’t view it.
Don’t they, already, make Civics (and CRVs) in Canada (
and CRVs in MXedit: HRV in MX)?What am I missing here?
Is this the US equivalent to this article you wrote on the Canadian government survey?
That’s weird stuff from Porsche. New supercar? Fine, whatever, I’m sure it will be beautiful and brilliant. Cayman and Boxter as EV only? What? Everything I’ve ever heard about the Taycan is that it’s amazing but they have trouble selling them. Why would these models be different?
I don’t get worked up about drivers having their brights on. I assume they need them and forgot to turn them off. I can look to the white line for a few seconds. What I don’t like is the blue glare I get on my glasses from LEDs. Porsches are especially annoying with their matrix lights causing 8 blue dots to dance around my vision.
Tesla LED headlamps, a few Honda models, and nearly all jacked pickup trucks – even without highbeams on – are notoriously bad to me.
My otherwise beloved Mazda is a keen offender in this space. Low beams like blue lasers.
I’m just a Wallflower in this discussion, but we can drive it home on One Headlight. Who needs them fancy LEDs? Me and Cinderella, we’ll put it all together for ya.
There’s got to be something better.
I dunno man, I turn the engine, but the engine doesn’t turn. Damn this beat-up truck!
At this point, I’m shocked to learn that *any* government agency is doing *anything* that represents the will of the people.
There’s not much left as far as government agencies capable of any policing of any kind. But that was the point of destroying the government.
Laws need to be made and enforced not just for new manufactured vehicles but vehicles currently on the road.
We have 10 years worth of vehicles on the road with these things, which means at least another 10 years of dealing with them even if regulations changed tomorrow.
There are so many models that support auto high beams and dimming but have its disabled because NHTSA thinks its 1982. They really need to get the manufacturers to enable those system. Most VCI can already. It’s a 5 minute process.
> It’s a problem large enough to have spawned its own anti-LED-headlight subreddit
Isn’t exactly the damning evidence of proliferation you might think it is, but it’s still definitely a problem. I can’t tell you how many times in the last week alone I’ve had to flash my high beams at someone to get them to turn theirs off, or how many times I’ve had to ride completely blind through my own lane until we cross each other because even their low beams completely wash out my field of view and leave me with afterimages to boot.
Automatic high beams are the worst. The dim headlights of my 28 year old BMW don’t trigger them to switch off until the oncoming car is right in front of me. I almost can’t drive at night anymore and I avoid it whenever possible.
TBF maybe it’s time to fight back
That’s a setting. You can turn that feature off. And if BMW doesn’t allow it like other brands, that’s a design fault.
Bob has no control over the automatic high beam settings of oncoming vehicles.
I turned my auto dimmer off because I do a far better job.
I’m torn on the headlight issue, living in rural Western PA LED and HID bulbs are game changers – particularly as I age. At the same time the blue/white color spectrum is very harsh, particularly in rain/snow/fog. The glare from all the lifted trucks is maddening.
I would like to see the regulations go big and get a twofer: regulate the height that lights can be it. Solve the problem of headlights being right at eye height for everyone not in a lifted 1 ton truck and make it so if manufacturers want to have a cohesive design, they have to put hoods back down to reasonable heights. The ensuing decline in pedestrians deaths will be an unintended side effect, of course.
Please god make the auto headlights mandatory, in time for another winter in the PNW. Cars with no lights on in the rain at night are a huge pet peeve of mine.
The lowest common denominators among us dont even notice when it is just their running lights on. It should be the easiest ticket in the world too, but I never seem to see them get pulled over
In Kentucky it’s the law to have your headlights on in the rain, however the large majority of offenders to this law are the cops. Just the worst at putting their damn headlights on
It’s the same in Virginia, but the gray area of drizzle, leading to intermittent wipers being used means a lot of folks don’t.
Blame the instrument panels always being lit. In the old days not being able to read the dash was a clue to turn the lights on.
Yeah, that’s part of the Canadian requirement.
Dashboards stay dark until the actual headlights are turned on
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a37490555/canada-automatic-headlight-rules/
Huh, my Toyota basically auto dims but is always lit. I find myself relying on the headlamp idiot light or manually cycling the switch regularly.
I notice Toyotas seem to be a big offender of this. Often times it’ll be rainy/foggy/or dark and when I pass the vehicle with no taillights, it’s a Toyota.
Yup. Back in the day when I looked down and couldn’t read my gauges, it was definitely time to turn on the lights.
I drive to work around 0530 every morning. Pretty much every day, no matter what the weather, time of year, etc., there are people driving around with their DRLs or no headlights. And there’s no way to get them to notice. I’ve tried flashing my lights off and on, flashing brights…no one ever notices these as indicators their lights are off.
In my wife’s truck with auto headlights, they won’t turn on if it’s raining during daylight, even though it is the law. My old truck had lights that were always on. I never saw what the problem was with that.
Yeah, there has to be some simple logic to it.
Wipers running for ~30 sec override the light sensor, or something to that effect.
That’s actually how my last few cars have worked. If the wipers swipe at least three times it turns on the headlights.
Also, if I put it into reverse, that it’ll do a courtesy swipe of the rear window if the wipers are on.
I was just going to comment this same thing. I don’t think a week goes by that I don’t see at least one nearly invisible vehicle running in the dark or inclement weather because their DRL’s illuminate enough for them to not thing to turn on the actual lights.
For some reason it’s often a Toyota late model Toyotas. I can think of multiple times when the only reason I noticed these cars was that they blocked out the lights of other cars.
And, they’re often gray or silver, so they blend in with the cloudy/rainy surroundings.