I added Hella H4 lamps and 55/60W bulbs to my old e30 BMW because I used to drive at night in the country also. With the high beams on you could see extremely well. I never felt the need to upgrade from there. I think the lamp design was a significant factor. I noticed that the Hellas were deeper than the sealed beams, this must have contributed because the stock lights were of similar wattage but not nearly as bright.

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90 300GE 5sp
95 740iL