**Brand New Morimoto XB Evo Headlights are here!

Admittedly, MM did a pretty bad job of "showing" the difference between the lights in this one graphic that they have pre-prepared. The fact that they only showed off the low beam didn't help either. I'll hopefully have some free time in the next week or two to capture some images of my own with the production units, but I can tell you that they're not the same. I have some formal test data from them that I am not allowed to share quite yet. The low beam between the two lamps is honestly somewhat similar in terms of performance (assuming you're not using the supercharger module), with a candela increase of around 20% at nearly every test point. The high beam, however, is not even a comparison. The XB Evo is miles ahead in terms of performance there at around a 35% boost in power from OEM LEDs. Comparing to OEM halogen is not even a contest, as they are unfortunately a quite poor performing lamp altogether.

Again, I understand that $1,500 is no small ask. That said, if someone is converting from OEM halogen, breaks a light, or wants an upgrade from even OEM LED to have a bump in performance and aesthetics that they can see, this is the only lamp on the market that will complete that task. No to mention they have really good styling to them IMO, and come equipped with a lens heater which is certainly a nice feature for those of us up north who know all too well what snowpack on headlights during a snowstorm is like.

As an aside, comparing new to new - A quick call to my local dealership revealed that they wanted $2,200 for a set of OEM LED headlights for a 4R. The cheapest place that I was able to find a set of new OEM LEDs with a quick search online was at "Wholesale Direct Toyota Parts" in NC, and they wanted $751 per side + $216 shipping... I'm not the manufacturer so I don't set the pricing, but they're not completely out of line compared to what's currently out there in the performance sector.

 

Since they're a brand new projector built from the ground up I can't put a stamp on them and say for certain that they'll be better for longevity than the outgoing models. Every other lamp on the market (including the outgoing XBs) use an off the shelf projector. These lamps are built in a different facility than the outgoing models, and Morimoto had much more granular control over all aspects of the production. My hands on experience with them is that the materials used throughout as well as the fit and finish on them is a pretty large step up over the outgoing model. The lead engineer on the project (Yoshi) is a very, very detail oriented individual. During the prototyping stage of these he'd be sending me updates/revisions of minor optical changes, hotspot adjustments, power draw values, etc well into the wee hours of the night. To be honest, the last generation of Morimoto XBs were essentially a while label product made by someone else that Morimoto purchased exclusive US distribution rights for. These ones are a truly in-house product for Morimoto. They also carry a 5-yr warranty on them.

If you really want to get lost in the technical sauce, Yoshi also just released a page that explains some of the methodology that was used when trying to create the perfect (and still road legal) lamp.
https://www.morimotohid.com/multipoint

 

Heck yeah! The first-hand feedback is awesome to see. Looking forward to your full review.

As others have alluded to, the supercharger module cannot be preinstalled (or even included in the same box) if Morimoto wants to retain legality and get certification for a road-legal lamp. The SC unit isn't a full on retina burner either. The light still has well-controlled upward limiters so oncoming traffic isn't going to get blasted. However, it does still fall outside of legal limits for intensity.

You also aren't required to purchase the supercharger module upon your initial purchase. It can be purchased later, and the modules can be swapped with the headlights installed in the vehicle!