Detroit Auto Show 2013: Hot headlights

This car was designed to replace the lackluster RL and reinvigorate Acura. It's pretty conservative in terms of design, but the headlights, with 10 LEDs each and stacked in two rows, are striking. Even the high beams and low beams use the technology. And they're standard equipment, which is rare even for luxury cars.

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Audi started the whole LED craze in 2006 by using them as turn signals and auxiliary daytime running lights. The RS 7, which debuted at Detroit, has the latest design, which uses a row of LEDs under the headlight. Full LED headlights that use the technology for high and low beams are optional.

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Audi has evolved the headlights on the RS 5 to look even more distinctive. Instead of using just a single row of LEDs, special pipes around the headlight make what almost look like eyelids. They are optional on the lower-end A4 and A5 models and standard on some of the top-line S trims.

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The new BMW 4-Series replaces the 3-Series coupe. BMW says the headlights on this sexy concept are basically what the production car's will look like. The four round lights are a signature BMW look, and it's interesting to see how the company is using new LED technology to reinterpret it.

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This mash-up of a 2-door and a 4-door offers the best of the M6 coupe and M5 sedan in one package. Its headlamps look like someone cut the bottom out of a pint beer glass and stuck a light in the middle of it to create a ring of light around each bulb. It's quite a captivating design. LEDs are used elsewhere in the headlight assemblies as well for things like turn signals and auxiliary lighting.

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This is Cadillac's version of the Chevrolet Volt, which means it's a so-called range-extended electric vehicle with a small gasoline engine that acts like a generator to recharge the batteries but never actually drives the wheels. Cadillac has used LEDs arranged in a vertical pattern for several years now to create a specific look for its vehicles. The ELR shows the next evolution of that design.

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Few cars caused as much buzz in Detroit as the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Although its overall shape still undeniably says, "I'm a Corvette," there are many new details never before seen on this iconic American sports car. The fancy new headlights with L-shaped auxiliary lights and a stack of LEDs to either side are one of the most striking new features that enrich the design and elevate it to a level above the previous model.

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The Q50 is Infiniti's new design manifesto, showcasing the type of styling details all future Infiniti vehicles will have. Integral to that is a new headlight design that uses LED light pipes to create what look like furrowed eyebrows above each headlamp.

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New headlights and taillights are among the most noticeable changes to the Jeep Grand Cherokee for 2014. The headlights now have LEDs surrounding projector beams. It's the kind of design that illustrates the elevated attention to detail at all of the Chrysler's subbrands following Fiat's takeover.

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The Kia Cadenza is an example of how even affordably priced cars are getting fancy headlights. LEDs are used in the turn signals and also light up the streak of white composite above the main headlight to create a dramatic "eyebrow" effect.

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Lexus is reinventing itself with bolder, more aggressive designs. The updated Lexus IS shows some interesting new flourishes in its headlights. Rather than enclosing all of the components into a single unit, it breaks out the auxiliary lights into a check-mark-shaped assembly just below the main headlights.

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The all-new Ranger Rover introduces a headlight design with lots of LEDs that is sure to find its way to the other new Land Rover models. As is typical of the brand, the look is more understated, with clean oval shapes that create just the right amount of visual interest.

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Part of the redesign of the 2014 Maserati Quattroporte is the addition of new LED headlights that help the car look more contemporary, even as it retains key styling cues that go back decades, such as the distinctive oval grille and triangular rear roof pillar. The design of the headlight, however, is not unique in that it uses a light pipe above the main headlamp to create what looks like an eyebrow.

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Mercedes face-lifted the E-Class and the result is something dramatically different, thanks in large part to new LED headlights. Instead of using two separate headlights per side, as the E-Class has for years, the new design uses LED lights to mimic that look. It's a cool way to update the styling without completely abandoning the car's rich design heritage.

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Matthew de Paula wanted to be an automotive journalist ever since reading his first car magazine in grade school. After a brief stint writing about finance, he helped launch ForbesAutos.com and became the site's editor in 2006. Matthew now freelances for various outlets.