Porsche 911 LED vs. Xenon Comparison Comes from YouTuber Who Owns a Carrera 4S

YouTuber Nick Murray, who owns a 991.2 Carrera 4S, has decided to deliver a comparo that not only involves the Xenon and the LED light clusters of the Neunelfer, but also the halogen lights of his other car, a Volkswagen Golf Mk VI.

The Connecticut-based vlogger parked his Xenon-gifted rear-engined coupe, along with a model fitted with LED lights, ten feet away from his garage, measuring the intensity of the light. The same treatment was used for the halogen-wielding Golf.

Obvious hierarchy aside, the Lux measurements showed at least two attention-grabbing conclusions. First of all, the low beam intensity difference between the Xenon and the LED headlights was greater than one might imagine - the former delivered an average value of 1,100 lux, while the latter came with 1,600 lux.

Nevertheless, judging by what we can see on the garage door, the Xenons offer a more even coverage of the lower area.

Secondly, the high beam test saw the Xenon headlights hitting 3800 lux, while the LED value sat 200 lux lower. Nevertheless, as Nick mentions, the US legislation limits the power of LED headlights, which provides a reasonable explanation for the matter.

Speaking of American laws, these also delayed the introduction of laser headlights, with the BMW i8 being the best example for illustrating how the differences between the Old Continent and the US work. On the European market, the hybrid sportscar was launched with optional laser headlights back in 2014, but the negotiations with the FDA held up the introduction of the feature until fall 2015.

Moreover, the American version is about a third less powerful than the Euro one, while forgoing blue light and turning off automatically when incoming traffic is detected.

And while Porsche doesn't offer laser headlights, its LED units aren't among the most advanced on the market. For instance, other German automakers, such as BMW and Mercedes, offer active high beams that can create a shadow path around incoming vehicles (or those up front) instead of switching to the low beam.

Returning to the 911, the dynamic Xenons featured on Nick's car are a $780 option, while going for the LEDs makes for a $2,800 feature.

Of course, there's always the Porsche Exclusive cosmetic option that brings the LED headlights finished in black, which will set you back $3,540. But the financial depths of the Porsche optional extra list is another story for another time.