The Saab Aero X is where tradition meets the future, and the car meets the airplane. This exceptional concept car is being presented at the Geneva Motor Show. The Saab Aero X concept harnesses the entire tradition of Saab's aviation roots and its vision of the future in a single vehicle. The design language of the vehicle with its sleek lines draws on the aeronautic tradition of Saab, the company set up in 1937 as the Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (= Saab). The innovative cockpit canopy and the design motifs taken from the aerospace industry at the front and rear of the vehicle give the car the look of a jet aircraft. In short, this is an "aircraft of the road". To give the impression of an aerodynamic aircraft fuselage, the designers have avoided all hard edges and corners. The compact flowing styling of the car has been helped by the use of LED technology. High-power LEDs from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors have been integrated in the radiator grill to enhance the aircraft look. Only two OSTAR8r9 LEDs for high beam and one for dipped beam were needed. Golden DRAGON® LEDs in red and yellow provide the indicator and tail lights.

Because they are so small, LEDs are ideal light sources for places where traditional light sources are not suitable. They can be recessed in surfaces and integrated in design elements with no problems at all. The extremely long life of LEDs means they do not have to be replaced. They therefore give designers enormous freedom to create new and unusual concepts.

With a brightness of 350 lm at 700mA only one of these 13.5 x 33 mm large LEDs is needed for the dipped beam. The design aspect was therefore given only slightly more attention than roadworthiness. The high brightness values are achieved thanks above all to thin-film technology developed by OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. In these super-bright chips almost all the light is emitted at the top and can therefore be directed perfectly into lenses and other external optics. The OSTAR® used here is equipped with five chips.

The interior of the Aero X is driver-oriented and also reminiscent of the cockpit of a jet aircraft. Smooth glass-like surfaces are used instead of switches and buttons to give a high-tech futuristic look. The displays seem to hover in space through various acrylic layers and polished surfaces. All the interior and exterior lighting systems are based on compact LED technology. The design team was able to exploit the benefits of these light sources and will be making greater use of these systems in future products.

With its three chips (red, green and blue) the MULTILED® units in particular enable any colours defined by the design team to be reproduced. The RGB elements can be mixed to create any colour with incredible saturation and brilliance.

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