Dave wrote:
Andy Champ wrote:

do you happen to know if there are restrictions on how close to the
front of the car headlights have to be?

Usually in front of any metal bits at the front of the car, so as to
cause the lights to shine forwards.

It seems to me there may be aerodynamic restrictions caused just by
light regulations.

???


For low drag you want the front of the car as low and smooth as
possible. Now if you are required to be 2ft high 2ft from the front of
the car for the lights there are strict limits on how low you can make
the front of the car, which must surely affect drag.

Have a look at this modern Audi le Mans racer

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9445/0126ky.jpg

and you'll see that (for aerodynamics) the front is limited only by the
height of the wheel arches and the driver's knees. I doubt the mirrors
are 2ft off the ground - imagine what the shape would be if there were
fixed headlights above the front wheels.

Pop-ups BTW were a fix used by some - Mazda's MX5 probably the most
mass-market - but crash test legislation has largely killed that, and
compulsory "headlights on all the time" would kill it completely.

Andy