My bad! I said 9011 projectors when I meant that the 2013 RAV4 has 9005 projectors.
That strengthens the case for a migration to HIR2, which has a much longer lifespan while producing about the same amount of light as HB3.
I know that the technical definition of a 9012 allows for a much higher lumen output than 9006, but is there a minimum lumen output for each bulb type?
There is a nominal output and an allowable plus/minus tolerance, so yes, there is an allowable range defined by a minimum and a maximum. At 12.8v, an HB3 (9005) is specced as 1700 lumens +/- 12%, so the minimum is 1496 and the maximum is 1904.
I know that LL bulbs are optimized, for, well, longevity. Does that mean that 9012LL's could possibly have a lower lumen output than an optimized 9006?
No. The allowable range for an HB4 (9006) at 12.8v is 1000 +/- 15%, so 850 to 1150. The figures for HIR2 (9012) at 12.8v are 1700 lumens +/- 15%, so the minimum is 1445 and the maximum is 1955.
Does this tolerance apply only to brand-new bulbs
Yes.
or must bulbs meet the tolerance over their lifespan?
No.
Also, what are the advantages and disadvantages of "side-entry" projectors?
Reduced depth and no dead spot in the heel of the reflector, which can be a nice plus for the optical engineer building the beam pattern.