If so, what for? I'm charmed by the look (especially with the bonnet stripes) but I could never justify adding them unless there was a clear practical purpose for them. I will probably never drive the Baja Run, BTW.

 

don't have em...
no need for em here on Long Island... by my best estimation...
though they look cool...if done up correctly...

peace,
d

 

The roads around my house and to where I work are filled with wild life. Also I leave for work between 2 and 4 AM. Two years ago a deer attacked the car I was driving while doing 65 MPH.

Yes I use my rally lights and can justify the cost every day I leave for work.

 

I use them at night all the time! They make the headlight power so much brighter! Very well justified.

 

Thy're absolutely incredible for back road driving. Its amazing how much brighter they are than just the brights alone. I wouldn't go without them, plus they look awesome, even with the covers on.

 

We've got them and love them :smile: In VA you aren't allowed to have them on for normal use, so when we are on the road at night and no other cars around, they are great


Chow!


Donna

 

I can say that compared to other cars I have owned and driven the mini's lights are quite good.
I have the xenons which are great but my fog lights are also very bright and help with night driving. I have no fog in Hawaii but can make use of the fog lights. I could see how if you were in a rural area that the rally lights could be very good without needing to use high beams. I find the lateral light coverage of the fog lights to be very good.
I'm very happy with the mini's lights.

For those who own rally lights- can you put those 3M protectors on them too? I have the 3M shields on all my front facing lights and they look and work great.

Plus as an added benefit you get another toggle switch to control from the dash if you add the Rally lights! so 2 or 4 lights?

 

Just as long as everyone remembers to turn them off for oncoming traffic....
*steps off soapbox*

 

Okay, it's starting to make sense, I do live in a rural area and sometimes we get huge herds of "bambis" hangin' out on the roadsides just waiting for a car to bite.

I only have one toggle switch spot left since I ordered with DSC and fog lights. I kinda wanted to save the open spot for my pipe-dream pneumatic system that would raise the car for more ground clearance when I'm off roading. Don't laugh -- the place were' moving to soon is a half mile of gravel lane off the nearest county road. When the lane gets rutted (as it does within a couple of years of getting re-graveled), the crown may be up to the belly of the car. Prolly get a stainless steel skid plate first.

 

I live in a rural area, and also drive in many very rural areas at night, so just about everything I drive has some sort of auxiliary lighting. The MINI Rally lights (once I aimed them properly, and not all over the place and in the trees as the dealer left it) cast very direct, useable high beam-like light. I used them on my trip back from Orlando in the middle of the night on the new deserted stretches of highway. I saw a few eyes blink at me from the distance from the wooded areas, and saw the deer as well.

I recommend them if you do this sort of driving. I would NOT have ordered them preinstalled if I didnt buy my car off the lot with the lights already there. (they are not worth the 700 bux I paid, but I was stuck with them, and considered them part of the whole package). I would have done my own installation using aftermarket PIAA or Hella lights.

 

Not to worry. My factory switch for my rally lights is on the left side of the steering wheel lower dash by the steering column. They activate instead of the driving light and come on only when you use your high beams. Turn off high beams, the rally lights go off and the driving lights come on.

 

If you drive at night where you run your high beams, the extra light is great. Depending on the lights you have, they can be real beneficial for spotting the night critters....the 4 legged, and the 4 wheeled kind, if you get my drift! :smile: On a long flat stretch, mine will pick up a reflective stripe on a car almost a mile down the road. They'll also pick up on unmarked cars earlier than my normal high beams.
When you get lights you have to look at what you're buying and match them to your particular driving situation. You've got 3 basic types. "Fogs" - these have virtually no distance, but do have a wide light dispersal low on the road. "Regular driving lights" - these throw light further down the road, but since they also are designed to put some light out to the sides, they don't have the range of the spots. "Spot diving lights" - to me this style is the best. There's virtually no side light. They focus all the light in a thin beam straight ahead. By doing so, they have the greatest range. I depend on the cars high beams to give me whatever side lighting I need.
Keep in mind that the better quality the light the better it works. If you just want something to hang off the car for looks, a cheap set from Wal-mart will do. But if you want actual performance out of them and want them to last, spend some money and buy a quality brand. It's all in the reflector and lens.

>>I have the xenons which are great but my fog lights are also very bright and help with night driving. I have no fog in Hawaii but can make use of the fog lights.<<

I'm assuming you do turn these off when you have oncoming traffic?