Porsche's New HD-Matrix Headlights Have a Nifty Anti-Pothole Feature

Take the Active Ride suspension as an example. It may cost thousands of dollars, but it heavily improves the road behavior of the revised Taycan and Panamera. In a way, it's very close to Bose's magic carpet-like electromagnetic suspension that got sold to a company called ClearMotion. No automaker wanted the super smooth setup because it reportedly was too heavy and expensive.

But besides the impressive suspension that can turn a very sporty vehicle into a luxurious car at the press of a button, Porsche has also improved its lighting system. Most of its new models come standard with matrix headlights. Many individual LEDs work together to offer the driver the best illumination possible without dazzling oncoming traffic participants. They can even carve out other cars on the road or avoid unnecessarily highlighting traffic signs. Some reflective panels can be really bright when powerful, cold white light hits them.

Those "base" headlights are so good (and efficient!) that even people who allegedly grow all sorts of plants indoors are carving them out of parked Taycans.

Fortunately, that's something that only happens in a couple of European countries. In the US, nefarious actors aren't so willing to mess with other people's vehicles. They might steal them or break a window or two to snatch a bag, but they won't take the time to savagely take the headlights out with a can opener.

Still, Porsche wanted to do something even cooler in this regard. So, instead of investing in self-driving tech that few people like or use regularly, they worked on a superior type of matrix headlight. And it casually named it HD Matrix despite it deserving a much more inspiring designation.

The type of smarter car anyone can love

Each headlight contains 84 individual LEDs, which are made of 16,000 adjustable micro-LEDs. That's why the new optical units come with two chips per headlight. There are many calculations that must be done to ensure a smooth operation and communication between modules must happen as fast as possible.

Depending on the type of Porsche you want, the optional equipment will set you back between $1,220 (for the new Macan Electric) and $1,780 for the refreshed 911 and Panamera. The price can easily go over the $2,000 mark if you want the headlights to have a dark, smoked appearance.

Some Porsche buyers might want to put up with the extra expense because, besides being better at illuminating the road than the standard matrix optical units, they also come with some extra tricks.

The Taycan, for example, can deploy a powerful "magic light carpet" when the EV isn't put in its most efficient drive mode. The LEDs highlight the lane the car is on, which makes noticing potholes or other road debris much easier. In turn, that means the driver should be able to apply the right countermeasures in a timely manner. Thus, they can avoid an impromptu moose test.

The coolest thing about this feature is that it doesn't only work in a straight line; it's also active even when the road goes slightly right or left! The powerful mini-beam of light will follow the lane limits and bend as necessary. The "illumination carpet" will also extend to the lane onto which you want to merge. After you finish changing lanes, it narrows down to your portion of the road only, as you can see in the video below where Out of Spec's Kyle Connor tested the feature on the famous German Autobahn.

It's such a great idea, and I, for one, can't wait to see it implemented by other brands as well. The highlighting effect really has the potential to increase road safety. Imagine having this option when it's really foggy, or the sun shines on the wet road and creates a dangerous glare. It would surely help!

It's certainly a great addition for Porsche owners who are fond of night time track racing.

Sadly, the HD-Matrix headlight is disabled in the US. All those LEDs and extra chips are put on the car for nothing. Porsche is not hiding it. They're informing anyone configuring a new car at home. Salespersons will also tell prospective buyers the same thing. The marque won't try to trick anyone.

Looking for someone to blame?

That's the NHTSA's fault. Even though USDOT's agency approved "adaptive beams" in February 2022 because the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act forced it to do so, the NHTSA introduced some new rules that are not part of the SAE J3069 standard, which is adopted and implemented in other countries.

Automakers, who have kept pressing the NHTSA since 2013 to transform the SAE standard into a federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS), refused to put up with the extra regulations just for the sake of giving Americans cars with adaptive headlights. That's one of the reasons why some drivers march on the road with their brights on without a care in the world. They just want to see everything, no matter if you're going to be temporarily blinded by their ride.

Despite that drawback, owners of vehicles with advanced lighting systems (such as BMW's old Laserlight headlights) have taken delivery of the units equipped with such options and activated them at their own risk afterward.

Still, the HD-Matrix headlights are an amazing piece of technology and will surely help drivers who spent a lot of time behind the steering wheel at night to feel much safer and avoid spending good money on fixing damaged rims and popped tires.

You could option them on your next Porsche and activate them after taking delivery, but you'll do so at your own risk. Police officers have pulled people over and handed them a ticket for much less than this.

Finally, don't lose hope. The NHTSA could come to its senses and understand that lighting technology has evolved, and various implementations have been safely put to good use in many parts of the world.