High Five! Morimoto has officially achieved Projector-Perfection with the 5th gen Mini D2S Bi-xenons! If you're looking for the ultimate beam pattern boner; it's really not going to get any better than this folks. Perfectly balanced beam. The crispiest ECE style cutoff. Unquestionable OEM-quality all packed into a projector that's undeniably easy to install. If we died and went to fog light heaven, the 5.0 would be greeting us at the gate.
Projector-Perfection: There are other projectors that produce brighter hot spots. There are other projectors that have unholy amounts of width.But no other option creates the perfect balance of width & hotspot lux (aka distance) quite like the 5.0. In order to create the ultimate weapon for driving in the dark; Morimoto baked in best practices from a variety of well-respected OEM and aftermarket projectors. With over a decade of experience, we trust that their latest and greatest equates to the perfect all-around perfomer.
Distance: The hot spot on the new 5.0 bi-xenon is roughly 70% brighter than the already-impressive 4.0 design. While the high beam unloads a lot more volume of light; virtually no additional intensity has been reserved. What that means: You get the maximum benefit from your bulbs & ballasts in default mode--where drivers spend 99% of their time. The controlled decrease in intensity from the hyper-hotspot down through the foreground results in a distribution of light that makes driving at night very comfortable & safe. Why? Because too much intensity on the ground too close to the front of your vehicle will make your eyes adjust, compromising your ability to see very far. Science!
Width: Power is nothing without control, and even the best D2S bulbs and 50w ballasts won't always result in a satisfying output when projected out on the road improperly--so the KEY is really how that light is deployed. Thanks to the beauty in the center of this beast [all new optics package + flat cast cutoff shield] You really end up with a beam pattern that's extremely wide and flat, with zero bowing. But that's not all: The position of the shield has been fine-tuned so that there is a band of intense light that spans side-to-side directly under the cutoff line. RX350 Bi-xenons, S2000's, LS430s, SC430--all of the best from Koito now need to bite their tongue, because that's all they had on Morimoto prior to the 5.0 party!
Anti-Reflective Coating Lens: The blue tint to the lens is more than marketing fluff too. That's an AR coating, and it serves a real purpose. AR coatings increase the transmission of light through the glass all while decreasing bleed. The result? 10% more light and less glare compared to a traditional clear lens. The blue-hue may not be for everybody, but in this case we're down. Read more about AR coatings HERE.
Hardware Upgrades: Forget the finicky 2 piece bulb holders found on the 4.0s, these come standard with the MotoHolders: an all-new one-piece design that's far easier to work with. The new CNC machined aluminum lock rings are not only pretty looking, but they're 300% stronger than the old die cast part. To tighten them, Morimoto now offers an optional lock-ring tightening tool that works with any 10mm socket set. Torx screws now hold the lens holder on too instead of Philips screws. While the 5.0 get's a big boost in the performance department, it's also clear they've paid attention to the details in the parts department too. We like it!
Installation Summary: On a H4-based fog light reflector for example...Remove the fog light lens, insert the threaded mounting shaft through the pre-existing hole in the back of the reflector, add the alignment plate, tighten the lock ring, and re-seal the fog lights. For other applications, minimal cutting will probably be involved but you'll find the results well worth it! Check out the installation procedure linked above.
