Report claims Apple talking with Volkswagen over 'iCar'

[AppleInsider]

Readers may want to take this one with a bag of rock salt, but German magazine Capital is reporting that Apple and automaker Volkswagen have engaged in early discussions over a concept car dubbed "iCar."

The report -- available via Google translation -- claims that Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn recently flew to California where he sat down for a brainstorming session with Apple's Steve Jobs.

Though still in the early planning stages, the two firms reportedly plan to cooperate on the development of a new generation of Volkswagen compact cars that would include several Apple tie-ins.

Experts cited in the report say compact cars that come loaded with several pieces of Apple gear could serve as a particular draw amongst younger-generation customers.

Apple presently works with several automakers, including BMW, for iPod and iPhone integration. There have also been rumors that the company has teamed up with another German automaker, Mercedes-Benz, to develop a radically new dashboard navigation system due out next year.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Bacillus]

This whole i thing is getting out of control, if the reports of an iCar pan out.

On a personal note - I don't buy cars from a company with significant Nazi roots / origins.

[Denton]

Originally Posted by Bacillus

On a personal note - I don't buy cars from a company with significant Nazi roots / origins.

IBM provided the computers that made the holocaust possible, yet I doubt that you had any problem buying an iBook G4. Idiot.

[wessan]

Originally Posted by Bacillus

This whole i thing is getting out of control, if the reports of an iCar pan out.

On a personal note - I don't buy cars from a company with significant Nazi roots / origins.

I think that could be just step for Apple to dominate in another industry and almost anyone has a car.

I could imagine a car containing a computer powered by the car battery (almost unlimited battery life, because it charges as you go). That computer can sync all your stuff with home computer before you leave home, then stay in touch with your mobile devices in work and then sync all your stuff with home once you arrive.

PS: I'm from country occupied by Nazi Germany (when betrayed by France, UK and all other "allies") and I have no problem buying German car. The car has nothing to do with politics. Gemrans do good cars and that's the only what matters when buying a car.

[iZune G5]

I agree with Denton and wessan. That's just stupid.

What does today's VW have to do with WWII? When you're buying a Buick or Chrysler, aren't you then supporting the Hiroshima bomb?

[SpamSandwich]

Bacillus just thought one could play the 'holier than thou' card and walk away intact?

[Rich-Myster]

Originally Posted by Bacillus

This whole i thing is getting out of control, if the reports of an iCar pan out.

On a personal note - I don't buy cars from a company with significant Nazi roots / origins.

you're ignorant.

[max_naylor]

Originally Posted by iZune G5

I agree with Denton and wessan. That's just stupid.

What does today's VW have to do with WWII? When you're buying a Buick or Chrysler, aren't you then supporting the Hiroshima bomb?

I agree with all of the above (not to shout “me too!” or anything ). Anyway, this has got to be one of the more ridiculous rumours I’ve heard lately. Scratch that—it’s the most ridiculous rumour. iCar? Next Apple will be selling iApples.

[SpamSandwich]

i...i...i... think i can.

[Rich-Myster]

Originally Posted by max_naylor

I agree with all of the above (not to shout “me too!” or anything ). Anyway, this has got to be one of the more ridiculous rumours I’ve heard lately. Scratch that—it’s the most ridiculous rumour. iCar? Next Apple will be selling iApples.

iPorn, it's gonna be big.

[mstone]

Originally Posted by Bacillus

On a personal note - I don't buy cars from a company with significant Nazi roots / origins.

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

[Walter Slocombe]

Originally Posted by mstone

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

And I thought the original stupid comment made no sense

[city]

private

[BdeRWest]

And I thought the original stupid comment made no sense

Obviously that means after the Nazis wronging you for 490 times, you can stop forgiving them. But only if they live next door

[max_naylor]

I actually have quite fancied Volkswagen as the Apple of the car world. I think that they have the same design ethos. Plus their cars are neat.

[ifiredmyboss.com]

Originally Posted by Denton

IBM provided the computers that made the holocaust possible, yet I doubt that you had any problem buying an iBook G4. Idiot.

IBM's first computers were in the 50's...

[elroth]

"What does today's VW have to do with WWII?"

Besides building the tanks, armaments, etc. that killed American soldiers, the German car companies used Jewish slave labor in their factories. When people were too weak to be productive, they were sent to concentration camps or killed. (Side note: a very well-known aspirin company manufactured the cyanide used in concentration camps).

If someone wants to make a moral decision to not support the heirs of those who made possible the Nazi murders, good for them. If you don't think it's relevant 60 years later, good for you. It's individual sensitivity and choice.

"Bacillus just thought one could play the 'holier than thou' card and walk away intact?"

I don't see where he did any such thing. Giving a personal moral opinion is not criticizing anyone else. Did he say other people should come to the same conclusion? No, he just made a statement of his own feeling, in a pretty matter-of-fact way.

[RidleyGriff]

No, elroth, he made a personal, button-pushing comment that had nothing to do with the rumor in question (Apple pairing with car companies, in this case VW).

Everyone is, of course, free to have their opinion on whatever political matter they choose, but if I posted here that I was going to return my Macs and iPhone because they are an American company, and I didn't want to support the heirs of slaveowners, I would be making an absurd, foolish statement, and doing so in the wrong forum.

He should keep his irrelevant personal political views in the AppleOutsider forum. That way we don't have to read them, or the two hundred posts (like this one) responding to his post in the first place, when we're just trying to read discussion of news and rumors.

[freeny]

Sounds like a very expensive iPod accessory.

[maxmann]

Originally Posted by ifiredmyboss.com

IBM's first computers were in the 50's...

I don't recognize the font on the number(s) series done on the arms of Jews.. can you?

[Buck]

Ah, but why not Smart? I'd go for Smart any day. VW is just so... uncool and uninteresting.
PS. and stop that silly nazi flame. A single post is all it takes to drown the thread in useless noise!

[dom]

Why is it that people who put forward the most facile and asinine opinions always defend themselves with, 'well everyone's entitled to an opinion'. Yes we know this, but it doesn't make your opinion a good one, and it doesn't stop people rightly correcting you.

Many companies have had dubious ties and do and will in the future. The post war generations of Germans carry an unfair level of guilt on their shoulders. I've lived there, and am married to a German. Most western countries were entertaining ideas of eugenics long before Hitler got on board. The UK almost past laws to sterilise the disabled in 1933, but were stopped at the last. Hitler just beat us to it as the country he lead was more socially and politically ripe for the leading.

Most governments in most countries have committed atrocities, and were propped up by the powerful men in the powerful companies. Pretty hard to boycott everything.

[minderbinder]

My god, what awful news.

VW's cars have been HORRIBLE for the past few years. I can't urge you strongly enough NOT to buy a Volkswagen. Ours has had a huge number of failures, unfortunately just shy of our state's (sadly weak) lemon law. Many days in the shop, many problems in the first year and beyond ranging from multiple severe engine problems to a dead radio to bad seatbelt, door handle, cracked windshield (the dealer's fault), loud annoying noises in the car from bad assembly, and more. We ended up in court over it but sadly we couldn't get them to take the car back.

Even the basics like windshield wiper refils and antifreeze are non-standard and must be bought from a dealer.

Yes, you read that right.

ANTIFREEZE is not available at regular auto supply stores.

I can't make this point strongly enough:
DO NOT BUY A VW.

It will be the biggest regret of your life. Stay far far far away.

[Proximityeffect]

Originally Posted by ifiredmyboss.com

IBM's first computers were in the 50's...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_IBM

[vinea]

Originally Posted by elroth

"What does today's VW have to do with WWII?"

Besides building the tanks, armaments, etc. that killed American soldiers, the German car companies used Jewish slave labor in their factories. When people were too weak to be productive, they were sent to concentration camps or killed. (Side note: a very well-known aspirin company manufactured the cyanide used in concentration camps).

If someone wants to make a moral decision to not support the heirs of those who made possible the Nazi murders, good for them. If you don't think it's relevant 60 years later, good for you. It's individual sensitivity and choice.

Any he doesn't own any Japanese products from Mitsubishi or other corporations? Even Japanese companies formed after WWII likely have links via the keiretsu system to companies/banks/entities that profited on slave labor, conducted (in)human experiments and created chemical and biological weapons.

And no diamonds too right?

Vinea

[TenoBell]

Most major banks and many old companies in the US and Europe were founded and profited highly from the African slave trade. And they were never forced to pay reparations. Do we also boycott them?

[britwithgoodteeth]

What do moderators around here do, other than not proofread articles?

[teonyc]

This is probably just a co-branded version of one their cars. Like they used to do with TREK bicycles (on the Jetta) or the way Ford does the Eddie Bauer edition SUVs. I wouldn't read too much into it.

[jimakin]

VW recently did a wacky promotion that made an electric guitar standard equipment (!?) with some models, and this makes a lot more sense.

It'd be slick, for instance, to have an iPhone-friendly Dock connector in the glovebox, and a built-in dashboard mic for hands-free use (in addition to now-standard integration of iPod output into the sound system; steering-wheel controls for answering calls as well as navigating playlists, etc.).

Not to mention gleaming silver apple medallions inset into the interior trim; paint schemes that match/complement the iPod nano palette; iSight cameras built into the rear-view mirror, etc...

FWIW, my pal Julio Ojeda-Zapata, tech writer for the St. Paul (MN) Pioneer Press, was spot-on way back when he compared the original iMac to the then-new New Beetle from VW. Each product was a stylish, fun repackaging of decent but far from cutting-edge technology, priced to appeal to young hipsters. VW and Apple Think Different in similar ways.

P.S. I understand the the Nazi-VW link made above but I trust any war criminals were, well, driven from the company a couple of generations ago.

[wessan]

Originally Posted by elroth

"What does today's VW have to do with WWII?"

Besides building the tanks, armaments, etc. that killed American soldiers, the German car companies used Jewish slave labor in their factories. When people were too weak to be productive, they were sent to concentration camps or killed. (Side note: a very well-known aspirin company manufactured the cyanide used in concentration camps).

If someone wants to make a moral decision to not support the heirs of those who made possible the Nazi murders, good for them. If you don't think it's relevant 60 years later, good for you. It's individual sensitivity and choice.

"Bacillus just thought one could play the 'holier than thou' card and walk away intact?"

I don't see where he did any such thing. Giving a personal moral opinion is not criticizing anyone else. Did he say other people should come to the same conclusion? No, he just made a statement of his own feeling, in a pretty matter-of-fact way.

It's not about the companies. It's about politics. Almost every capable company in Europe during WW2 was producing weapons. Even "allies" who betrayed democratic Czechoslovakia and forced it to surrender to Germany gave Nazis a lot of factories capable of producing weapons located in Czechoslovakia.

The sad thing is that history is always written by winners. Losers are always bad in every aspect and winners are always good in every aspect (black-and-white). All evil that was commited by loasers is a "crime". The same things commited by winners are "necessary to defeat evil".

USA are now behaving much like Germany few years before WW2 from my point of view. It's definitely country that lead highest number of wars since WW2 for various reasons from fighting communism to getting oil. It's strong as Germany was before WW2 and nobody can stand against it. Many factories produce weapons there including IT industry, boeing, etc.

But the war is politics and people and even huge companies can't do anything against it. If they refuse working for state another company will.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by max_naylor

I actually have quite fancied Volkswagen as the Apple of the car world. I think that they have the same design ethos. Plus their cars are neat.

Audi. Not VW.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by minderbinder

My god, what awful news.

VW's cars have been HORRIBLE for the past few years. I can't urge you strongly enough NOT to buy a Volkswagen. Ours has had a huge number of failures, unfortunately just shy of our state's (sadly weak) lemon law. Many days in the shop, many problems in the first year and beyond ranging from multiple severe engine problems to a dead radio to bad seatbelt, door handle, cracked windshield (the dealer's fault), loud annoying noises in the car from bad assembly, and more. We ended up in court over it but sadly we couldn't get them to take the car back.

Even the basics like windshield wiper refils and antifreeze are non-standard and must be bought from a dealer.

Yes, you read that right.

ANTIFREEZE is not available at regular auto supply stores.

I can't make this point strongly enough:
DO NOT BUY A VW.

It will be the biggest regret of your life. Stay far far far away.

VW made me a switcher... to another car brand.

[bdkennedy1]

I think Steve is going to join the iCar with Time Machine and revolutionize time travel.

[domerdel]

hopefully it comes in more than 1 or 2 colors

[Clive At Five]

OMG, are we actually arguing about this?!?!

The whole argument is completely ridiculous. Yes, because buying a Volkswagon means you love Hitler and hate Jews. Sh*t, that's like saying that buying a car from a sinner is unethical and means you support sin, love Satan and hate God.



Obviously none of us are sinless, and it's impossible to purchase an item from someone who is. This includes not only descendants of Nazis but people who have any sort of hatred toward any sort of people...

So let's just move on and never speak of this again.

I hearby proclaim the end of the Nazi - VW conversation. OBEY!

-Clive

[Clive At Five]

Originally Posted by wessan

USA are now behaving much like Germany few years before WW2 from my point of view. It's definitely country that lead highest number of wars since WW2...

Obviously you've never heard of Africa. Yeah, it's that big continent south of Europe. You have no idea how many civil wars have been (still are) going on there since "colonization" by Europe. Things don't work so well, socially, when outsiders divide a montsrous continent up into neat little countries, based purely on geographical lines. And you never hear about them because the UN is too busy tending to "1st-world countries" that it ignores the little guys in Africa (who are also members of the UN, mind you)

Let's also not forget the Middle East which is in consistent turmoil. Though they might not be in power directly, political factions exert power over others through means of terrorism. These factions can be considered to be at war with their government.

Need I go on?

Pull your arrogant head out of your ass and learn some facts before you speak again.

-Clive

[wessan]

Originally Posted by Clive At Five

Obviously you've never heard of Africa. Yeah, it's that big continent south of Europe. You have no idea how many civil wars have been (still are) going on there since "colonization" by Europe. Things don't work so well, socially, when outsiders divide a montsrous continent up into neat little countries, based purely on geographical lines. And you never hear about them because the UN is too busy tending to "1st-world countries" that it ignores the little guys in Africa (who are also members of the UN, mind you)

Let's also not forget the Middle East which is in consistent turmoil. Though they might not be in power directly, political factions exert power over others through means of terrorism. These factions can be considered to be at war with their government.

Need I go on?

Pull your arrogant head out of your ass and learn some facts before you speak again.

-Clive

I know about Africa, the conflicts there and I know problems there are not solved by "rich" countries. I think it's because they are not interesting like not having oil, strategic geographic location etc. But wars in Afrika are rarely wars of one coutry against another, but mostly civil wars that are mostly totaly out of control of state - Siera Leone, Sudan etc. And such wars are very different from invading other countries around the world.

Yes I know middle east and I have been there. I know about many wars between Israel and it's neighbours and also about civil war in Libanon and similar. But I'm afraid that even the count of Israel-some-one-else wars is lower than USA-someone-else war, although not entirely sure.

Killing and murdering people for any reason including ideology, land or oil is bad. Whether you kill tousand or millions it's the same evil. When commited Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, Japan, USA it's still the same evil. The point of my previous post was different and it was that no company can stop state from commiting such crimes.

[vinney57]

Originally Posted by Bacillus

This whole i thing is getting out of control, if the reports of an iCar pan out.

On a personal note - I don't buy cars from a company with significant Nazi roots / origins.

Don't buy cars from Confederates!

Not that I'd ever buy an American car. Ford GT maybe or a Jeep, are they made by Confederates?

[BenRoethig]

Originally Posted by Buck

Ah, but why not Smart? I'd go for Smart any day. VW is just so... uncool and uninteresting.

The Golf/Rabbit may be one of the ugliest cars ever made, but I'll take one any day over the golf carts Smart is making

[Denton]

Originally Posted by ifiredmyboss.com

IBM's first computers were in the 50's...

Fine: IBM's Hollerith punch card did the job. The point remains the same.

IBM and the Holocaust