Apple hires veteran Lamborghini executive to work on 'Apple Car' team

Posted:
in General Discussion edited July 2022
Apple has hired a former Lamborghini executive to help lead the design of its rumored "Apple Car," signaling that the company is still moving ahead with the project.

Apple Car concept
Apple Car concept


The iPhone maker has hired Luigi Taraborrelli, a 20-year veteran of Lamborghini who oversaw chassis and vehicle dynamics at the carmaker, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

During his tenure at Lamborghini, Taraborrelli worked on models such as the Urus, Huracan, and Aventador, as well as the Huracan Sterrato and the Asterion concept car.

Along with his work on chassis development, Taraborrelli also worked in ares such as handling, suspensions, steering, brakes, and rims.

Some form of the "Apple Car" has reportedly been in the works for years under the codename Project Titan. However, Apple's vehicular team has seen a number of setbacks, departures, and road bumps along the way. Most recently, the team lost an automotive engineer just six months after his hire.

The "Apple Car" has also evolved in scope. Although initially Apple wanted to produce a full-scale vehicle, it eventually switched gears to focus on underlying autonomous systems. Most recently, it appears to have pivoted back toward creating an actual production car.

According to the latest information, the "Apple Car" is said to be a fully electric and driverless vehicle. Recent concepts suggest that the car could lack a steering wheel and would instead have four inward-facing seats.

Read on AppleInsider
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 24
    This doesn’t exactly seem an automotive career opportunity anymore.
    (let’s have compassion with the others who entered this graveyard - never to be heard from anymore…)
    edited July 2022 ravnorodomgrandact73anantksundaram
  • Reply 2 of 24
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 3,138member
    “Apple hires Lamborghini dude to design Apple Car.”

    Daaaaaaaang, sucka!

    it’s on now!


    edited July 2022 watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 24
    longpathlongpath Posts: 401member
    I absolutely cannot understand why a driverless vehicle needs to have performance handling dynamics. It seems as though Apple is going out of its way to design a rolling oxymoron.
    napoleon_phoneapartneoncat9secondkox2ravnorodomanantksundaram
  • Reply 4 of 24
    longpath said:
    I absolutely cannot understand why a driverless vehicle needs to have performance handling dynamics. It seems as though Apple is going out of its way to design a rolling oxymoron.
    Nowhere in the article does it mention “Performance handling dynamics”. You added in the word “performance”. Are you jumping to conclusions because the guy comes from Lamborghini?
    lolliverbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 24
    JWSCJWSC Posts: 1,203member
    JP234 said:
    — "Recent concepts suggest that the car could lack a steering wheel" 

    "They'll take my steering wheel when they pry it from my cold dead hands! From.My.Cold.Dead.Hands!"
    Exactly.  Inner city dwellers may find driverless autos tempting.  But most everyone else will take a hard pass on any Apple car that does not have a steering mechanism. Notice that I didn’t say steering wheel.
    9secondkox2byronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 24
    larryjwlarryjw Posts: 1,036member
    No steering wheel? Sure.

    Apple car delivery date? year 2150. 
    byronlravnorodomdk49anantksundaram
  • Reply 7 of 24
    jdwjdw Posts: 1,450member
    Not that the Apple Car would be affordable to the average person anyway, I certainly don't see how hiring a veteran Lamborghini executive is going to make it affordable even to the semi-wealthy.  Maybe the target will be the top 3%?  And if so, what's the point?

    But this Apple Car talk has been going on and on and on and on, and there's no hard evidence to say 100% the Apple will ever release a car that has their brand on it.  To be honest, I think I will be shocked to my core if a truly "Apple" branded car ever does come out. A car is so out in left field compared to what the company does now, it just doesn't make any sense to me.  It never has.  And while a company needs to be diverse, this is a car we're talking about, not a computer gizmo or service, which is their specialty.  In fact, I can conceive of Apple releasing an Apple branded android before a car, since an Android would have more to do with the existing business model than a car.

    Seriously.
    M68000anantksundaramwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 24
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,524member
    Call me paranoid but I believe KIA’s new car design language and logo were inspired by Apple’s minimalist car designs they saw during the early days when they were planning to work together on Titan. The designs are just too Applesque and unique for Kia
    byronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 24
    michelb76michelb76 Posts: 698member
    another piece of meat to burn down, or is there an actual strategy?
    byronl
  • Reply 10 of 24
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    JWSC said:
    JP234 said:
    — "Recent concepts suggest that the car could lack a steering wheel" 

    "They'll take my steering wheel when they pry it from my cold dead hands! From.My.Cold.Dead.Hands!"
    Exactly.  Inner city dwellers may find driverless autos tempting.  But most everyone else will take a hard pass on any Apple car that does not have a steering mechanism. Notice that I didn’t say steering wheel.
    Don’t tell me you like that steering yoke abomination.
    watto_cobradarkvader
  • Reply 11 of 24
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 3,138member
    larryjw said:
    No steering wheel? Sure.

    Apple car delivery date? year 2150. 
    I think that may be one possible iteration - like an Apple version of didi chuxing taxi service. 

    But people in a free society will want personal transport. So there will need to be a means of control and enjoyment of the experience. Otherwise there will be a limited sales ceiling. 

    no one wants their life controlled by the government or big tech. Those two exist to make life better forthepeople. So if apple has a driverless taxi, that’s one thing. But a personal vehicle… people are going to want to drive it themselves and bring control of where they go and how they get there. 

    I’m sure apple will have normal controls as well as a driverless setup. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 24
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 3,138member
    ireland said:
    JWSC said:
    JP234 said:
    — "Recent concepts suggest that the car could lack a steering wheel" 

    "They'll take my steering wheel when they pry it from my cold dead hands! From.My.Cold.Dead.Hands!"
    Exactly.  Inner city dwellers may find driverless autos tempting.  But most everyone else will take a hard pass on any Apple car that does not have a steering mechanism. Notice that I didn’t say steering wheel.
    Don’t tell me you like that steering yoke abomination.
    Just because a car is electric doesn’t mean tried and true convention needs to go. The yoke (which is still basically a steers ngeherl) is a bit of a pain for uninitiated customers and for those who switch between vehicles. 
    edited July 2022 watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 24
    timmilleatimmillea Posts: 257member
    The Apple Car is Apple's undoing. It is their blindspot because their decisions are US-based and the US is the car-crazy country. Car ownership must be reduced drastically year upon year to around 5% of current levels in order to meet globally agreed climate change targets. Electric mostly shifts the pollution elsewhere and introduces new toxic battery pollutants. Apple should be working on hyper-efficient public transport but mostly in reducing the need to travel at all. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 24
    ravnorodomravnorodom Posts: 721member
    larryjw said:
    No steering wheel? Sure.

    Apple car delivery date? year 2150. 
    ....and project will be cancelled in 2151.
    larryjwdarkvader
  • Reply 15 of 24
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,453member
    timmillea said:
    The Apple Car is Apple's undoing. It is their blindspot because their decisions are US-based and the US is the car-crazy country. Car ownership must be reduced drastically year upon year to around 5% of current levels in order to meet globally agreed climate change targets. Electric mostly shifts the pollution elsewhere and introduces new toxic battery pollutants. Apple should be working on hyper-efficient public transport but mostly in reducing the need to travel at all. 
    Was waiting for the obligatory Apple is Doomed™ comment. You really think they haven't thought any of this through? Do batteries cancel the benefits of halting carbon emissions? How do you know they're not developing public transport? Reducing the need to travel at all? Like, maybe with an advanced VR headset that brings the location to you? Hmm. Better get on the horn and set up that meeting with Tim before he destroys the company!
    radarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 24
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,045member
    timmillea said:
    The Apple Car is Apple's undoing. It is their blindspot because their decisions are US-based and the US is the car-crazy country. Car ownership must be reduced drastically year upon year to around 5% of current levels in order to meet globally agreed climate change targets. Electric mostly shifts the pollution elsewhere and introduces new toxic battery pollutants. Apple should be working on hyper-efficient public transport but mostly in reducing the need to travel at all. 
    Was waiting for the obligatory Apple is Doomed™ comment. You really think they haven't thought any of this through? Do batteries cancel the benefits of halting carbon emissions? How do you know they're not developing public transport? Reducing the need to travel at all? Like, maybe with an advanced VR headset that brings the location to you? Hmm. Better get on the horn and set up that meeting with Tim before he destroys the company!
    You not only got Apple is Doomed but WE'RE ALL DOOMED if we don't meet "globally agreed climate change targets."  Timmillea - it's not a secret that "the globe" is NEVER going anywhere close to meeting those "globally agreed targets" especially with the most populous countries doing NOTHING.

    If you think shifting to EVs only shift the pollution elsewhere, you must have no confidence in solar, wind, hydro, or other clean energy and I assume you're opposed to nuclear energy as well.  
    watto_cobradarkvaderfastasleep
  • Reply 17 of 24
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,903moderator
    timmillea said:
    The Apple Car is Apple's undoing. It is their blindspot because their decisions are US-based and the US is the car-crazy country. Car ownership must be reduced drastically year upon year to around 5% of current levels in order to meet globally agreed climate change targets. Electric mostly shifts the pollution elsewhere and introduces new toxic battery pollutants. Apple should be working on hyper-efficient public transport but mostly in reducing the need to travel at all. 
    Not in disagreement with the overarching theme of reducing the number of vehicles, but it’s not true that EVs merely shift the pollution elsewhere.  EVs are today far better for the environment and will be more so as renewable energy fills in more for fossil fuels in electricity generation.

    https://www.teslarati.com/new-ucs-study-evs-cleaner-than-ice/
    watto_cobraravnorodomsphericMplsPdarkvaderfastasleep
  • Reply 18 of 24
    larryjwlarryjw Posts: 1,036member
    Foxconn bought manufacturing contractor Lordstown Motors. Do Foxconn and Apple know something we don't?
    watto_cobraspheric
  • Reply 19 of 24
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,411member
    ireland said:
    JWSC said:
    JP234 said:
    — "Recent concepts suggest that the car could lack a steering wheel" 

    "They'll take my steering wheel when they pry it from my cold dead hands! From.My.Cold.Dead.Hands!"
    Exactly.  Inner city dwellers may find driverless autos tempting.  But most everyone else will take a hard pass on any Apple car that does not have a steering mechanism. Notice that I didn’t say steering wheel.
    Don’t tell me you like that steering yoke abomination.
    You have no clue. 

    Best to pass on silly unfounded opinions. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 24
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 4,038member
    ireland said:
    JWSC said:
    JP234 said:
    — "Recent concepts suggest that the car could lack a steering wheel" 

    "They'll take my steering wheel when they pry it from my cold dead hands! From.My.Cold.Dead.Hands!"
    Exactly.  Inner city dwellers may find driverless autos tempting.  But most everyone else will take a hard pass on any Apple car that does not have a steering mechanism. Notice that I didn’t say steering wheel.
    Don’t tell me you like that steering yoke abomination.
    You have no clue. 

    Best to pass on silly unfounded opinions. 
    If you follow the forums the yoke has a few diehard fans, a handful of people who say it’s ok and a whole lot of people who hate it. 

    Objectively, there are no true benefits and a lot of drawbacks.  
    darkvader
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