Whilst the LED is fast becoming the de facto choice for almost all lighting applications, BMW have perhaps just announced the next big thing: laser light. Advocates of laser light point to its high luminance (170 Lumens per Watt), low energy usage, small package size (10 times smaller than LED) and unrivalled beam range as the key benefits that will eventually bring this technology to mainstream vehicles particularly those aimed at the executive market. From a thermal management perspective the cooling of a laser diode brings some additional challenges not least the small size of the base plate and the need to keep maximum operating temperature below around 70C and maximum junction temperature below around 150C. To achieve these tolerances within the confines of an automotive application, where ambient air temperature and heat from the engine will be adding to the thermal load, will require exceptional design as well as some very high performing materials. Not least will be the requirement to keep bond lines as thin as possible and thermal resistance as low as possible to facilitate highly efficient heat transfer.