There are only a handful of OEM HID lamp manufacturers (GE, Philips (the inventor), Osram, Matushita), and they all produce 4,100 Kelvin color lamps for OEM use. All cars with factory HIDs (which also happens to be all legal HIDs in the US) are 4,100 Kelvin. Phillips does make a 6,000 Kelvin lamp but it is not legal for use in the US, and it is only offered as a replacement lamp when used with aged OEM HIDs because HIDs output changes and moves toward the blue side of the spectrum as age. The highest legal color temperature is just under 5,400 Kelvin as I remember, and that was the color used in the Xenarc 1010 aftermarket lights sold a few years ago by Osram / Sylvania. I actually have a set of those Xenarc lights and they do appear more blue than Philips standard HIDs (again, 4,100 Kelvin).
Just over 4,000 Kelvin is the brightest HID available and that is because of the physics of the lamp's arc itself.
If you look at OEM lighting sites, I believe you will find the above to be the case. Most web sites about HID lighting are trying to sell aftermarket, retrofit lighting kits, all of which are illegal and frankly meant to appeal to kids trying to look 'kewel'.
Again, the brightest and whitest vehicular lighting is 4,100 Kelvin in temperature and about 3,100 lumens in brightness. That is for standard, legal and OEM HID lighting.
I am a fan of HIDs myself and actually think <some> retrofits in <some> vehicle headlight buckets are a good idea (it works well on a C-14) but the aftermarket supply and use of lamps beyond about 5,400 Kelvin is a bad idea for two main reasons; they produce less light, and the shift toward the blue side of the spectrum causes more glare to oncoming traffic.
Brian
Hey Brian,
Looks like we're getting different information handed to us.
This is off the hidnation site.... http://hidnation.com/ (under the FAQ's)
"What does 3000k, 6000k, 8000k, etc. mean?
These numbers are associated with color temperatures. Each number represents a color. The break-down is an industry standard and each number correlates as such: 3000k-yellow 6000k-platinum/bright white 8000k-baby blue/light blue 10000k-blue 12000k-deep blue/hint of purple."
-Guess we're both just going off of what we read...Never the less, HID RULES !!!
- I love the headlights, lots of performance, lots of compliments, and best of all I am more visible, day and night.
