I just received my 2007 Vantage Convertible on Thursday. Love the car. In the act of posting videos of my car, I noticed that my rear lights flicker. What is unusual, is that you cannot see this with your bare eyes; only when recorded on camera. All I can think of is some sort of IR? Does anyone know what this is, and why it is doing this? I've not seen this on any other Aston Martin video footage.


Videos recorded using HTC EVO 4G (Sprint)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7z_pysxf3c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyiTR6rJFpw


Thanks,
Ben (from SL55 to AMV8, less torque, less hp... somehow more fun)

 

It has to do with the frame rate of capture on your camera catching the lights off cycle.. It's not mystical voodoo.

 

But INVISIBLE Flickering Rear Lights sounds so much cooler......so does mystical voodoo

OP, if you don't mind, how many miles and what did you pay?

 

18,775 - $70k

 

Wow, that's a good deal for a convertible.

Where did you get it from?

 

I negotiated with multiple dealers in the US. You can easily find this for 72s and 75s right now. I ended up purchasing it from an AM dealer in Dallas. I can send you contact info, but don't want to plug anything in here. Wait, did I just plug them? Not sure of the rules here.

 

Ben congrats on the ride...can't wait to see her!!!

OMG....flickering voodoo lights!!! Sounds too cool

 

Even the Top Gear shows (and they certainly have some fine video equipment) show flickering with LED lights...

Congrats: nice car and even nicer price :-)

 

how come the flickering doesn't seem to happen with any other cars? or does it??

 

Most cars with LED lights run them at full brightness to operate as high visibility lights (fog lights), then less bright to work as normal taillights. But LED's can't be dimmed, so the electronics switch them on and off so fast that they look dimmer to the eye.

Capture them with a video camera and it will take some frames with them on, then some with them off, so the lights seem to be flashing, which they are, only faster than they appear. Its a bit like the effect that makes wagon wheels run backwards on old movies.

To see them flashing without a camera, try scanning across them from side to side, and you'll won't see a continuous streak of light, you'll see a set of red dots

 

Great explanation, too bad I thought this was a James Bond feature.

 

hahaha your flickering car awaits Mr. Bond!!!! lol

 

OK, because this is a public thread, I gave you the cover story, but as an Aston owner you can be let in on the secret:

If you approach the MI6 building on the South bank of the Thames, with your lights flickering at their standard rate, then the gates will swing open and let you through. Anyone following close behind will have their car batted out of the way by a rapidly closing gate. Just don't try getting in with a Porsche or anything French, it will be in the bodyshop for weeks