Taillights are an important part of vehicle design. Our own Jason Torchinsky might say, the most important. Done right, they can almost bring the whole vehicle together. Done poorly, they can be terrible and distracting and ruin an otherwise Good Car. One of my favourite taillight designs is the current-gen of the MX-5 Miata. It just brings the car together and almost resembles an afterburner.
We asked readers what they thought their favourite taillight designs were. Here were their answers.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day, our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best 10 responses from the previous Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It’s by you and for you, Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Just a regular boring car with epic taillights.
Suggested by: FutureDoc
BMW Z8
BMW Z8, very retro and sleek. (First LED taillight?)
Suggested by: Jordan Richardson (Facebook)
Bugatti Divo
Going against the “simple” theme, Bugatti Divo. I think I just love tail lights that look like they’d be an absolute pain in the arse to fix.
Suggested by:Redbull151
Lincoln Mark VIII
Suggested by: @eerytheory (Twitter)
Mazda Furai
R.I.P.
Suggested by: CaptainZoll
BMW M4 GTS
M4 GTS OLED’s are tight!
Suggested by: Jason Celi (Facebook)
Any Finned Taillights
Suggested by: Speak of the Deville
Chrysler MEFourTwelve
Suggested by: @drumoyer (Twitter)
Ford GT
I really like the lights on the newer Ford GT. While they may look a bit simple compared to some of the other ones mentioned in the comments, the inner engineering nerd in me loves that they are functional not just as tail/brake lights but also to help with removing heat from the engine bay. If you look at the mesh in the centre, you can see that it is designed as a way of allowing heat to exit from the rear of the car and I am sure it is also used for aerodynamic purposes to reduce lift in the rear.
Suggested by: oddseth
Pre-2022 Kia Stingers
Suggested by: Angie Muzeni-Corino (Facebook)
Lancia Thesis
Suggested by: TheDriveress
Toyota Prius Prime
Suggested by: @Hawthe (Twitter)
2006-2014 Audi TT RS
Suggested by: fredschwartz
Spyker B6 Venator Concept
Best taillight will always be the Spyker B6 Venator.
Suggested by: Wuzzat