Report claims Apple talking with Volkswagen over 'iCar'

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 73
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by elroth View Post


    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.



    It's also completely our individual choice to call it unreasonable to reject VW for the claimed "moral" reason. Why hurt the grandchildren of the people that did something bad? How many generations do you think it's reasonable for a person to carry that standard of punishing a person because of their ancestry? That's more or less what's being discussed here. It's about as reasonable as rejecting Mazda because their logo is odd.
  • Reply 42 of 73
    citycity Posts: 522member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RidleyGriff View Post


    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.



    You can boycott all American products and you don't have to read personal politicall views.
  • Reply 43 of 73
    citycity Posts: 522member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dom View Post


    The post war generations of Germans carry an unfair level of guilt on their shoulders.



    Unfair?
  • Reply 44 of 73
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Clive At Five View Post


    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





    Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong.



    The OP made a comment about the USA (country) and you replied with a comment about Africa (a continent). You cannot compare Apples with Lemons, try again and this time use a country as an example, otherwise you are just showing your ignorance.
  • Reply 45 of 73
    mrpiddlymrpiddly Posts: 406member
    but iCar is already taken



    http://www.i-car.com/
  • Reply 46 of 73
    So a post i made back in June...



    Quote:

    And in other news Mazda has made an astonishing attack on the new Apples new multi purpose vehicle iCar due to be released on friday week. In a statement to the press a spokesman for Mazda was quick to point out that a car with a .3 litre petrol engine with a top speed on 7mph was not going to be a big hit, other flaws say Mazda include no rear seats, a steering wheel that comes off when a corner is turned and no floor in the trunk.



    AppleInsider Poster 1 - Well at least its safe, in this day and age people should not drive fast anyway.



    AppleInsider Poster 2 - Exactly, if you really want to go anywhere fast you could always get a train.



    AppleInsider Poster 3 - Who needs seats in the back anyway? Mazda seats are uncomfortable, what do they know? I will just tell passengers to sit on the floor.



    AppleInsider Poster 4 - The iCar will be a hit anyway, look at it, its so cool, so what the steering wheel comes off, big deal, it still going to be the best car ever.



    Etc.. Etc..



  • Reply 47 of 73
    I don't see why so many of you are down on the concept.



    But VW is not a good choice. The Apple of the auto world is, by far, Honda.



    The Germans make nice cars, but they are always the same, evolving glacially. Honda comes up with totally new things all the time. Some don't do that well, but are worthy of admiration anyway, just like Apple. Think of the Insight and the Cube. When even the marketing misses are worth looking at, when a company is willing to take risks and try new things in industrial design, that's the Apple way. Also like Apple, Honda is willing to go orthogonal from their main product line. Honda sells motorcycles (which was actually how they started), and ever hear of the Honda Jet?



    VW just makes automobiles, and the most radical thing they can think of is to go retro using a 70-year old design as a base. VW has made nice cars, I'm not saying they haven't. But the only thing Applish about VW is the style of their early advertising, which Jobs was probably inspired by at some point. That, and the fact that early VW bug owners could be thought of as "Thinking Different". But from an industrial design point of view, VW has always been the opposite to Apple.
  • Reply 48 of 73
    eduardoeduardo Posts: 181member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by max_naylor View Post


    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.



    On boy.



    ...Meh, never mind...
  • Reply 49 of 73
    citycity Posts: 522member
    Perhaps VW should team with Acer.
  • Reply 50 of 73
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    I'd believe Volkswagen and Apple make perfect sense. Cool meets cool.



    I also believe this is a tactical response to the Japanese car manufacturers' cooperation on developing an operating system for their vehicles. Apple will need to do some serious bug testing and bashing before their OS runs a vehicle. If the cooperation is just for entertainment systems then great. Anything more and I'm steering clear of the iCar (pun intended).



    http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/07...andard-car-os/
  • Reply 51 of 73
    Judging by the posts on here it is clearly obvious that many folks on here do not know much about cars, which is cool i guess seen as this is a computer forum. And of course a largely American forum and we will all agree that the Americans build pretty crap and uninspiring cars. But with that in mind it needs to be noted that Steve Jobs never met with anyone from Volkswagen as one would gather from the article but met with the Volkswagen group.



    Martin Winterkorn is the Cheif Executive of the Volkswagen Group, this is a company that owns Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti (The fastest production car in the world), plus it should be noted that a major share holder of the VW group is in fact Porsche. Now you are gonna have a tough time naming a cooler car company that that.
  • Reply 52 of 73
    desarcdesarc Posts: 642member
    if Apple designs a car, will it come with windows installed?

    will you have to restart the car to operate windows?



    i'm psyched that apple chose VW. i drive an audi TT and love the thing. decent power for a tiny little car, and all wheel drive to rock the northeast winters. it's design is bold and unique. very apple.



    honda is NOT the apple of the car world. honda is more like the Dell of the car world. everyone's got one because they're cheap and you can add all kinds of stupid superchargers, neon and giant spoilers to them from third party vendors.



    apple::think different / audi::never follow
  • Reply 53 of 73
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by desarc View Post


    if Apple designs a car, will it come with windows installed?

    will you have to restart the car to operate windows?



    i'm psyched that apple chose VW. i drive an audi TT and love the thing. decent power for a tiny little car, and all wheel drive to rock the northeast winters. it's design is bold and unique. very apple.



    honda is NOT the apple of the car world. honda is more like the Dell of the car world. everyone's got one because they're cheap and you can add all kinds of stupid superchargers, neon and giant spoilers to them from third party vendors.



    Very few Honda owners do that. It's unfair for you to cast the whole bunch in a bad light for that.



    I think the comparison comes out because Hondas have a reputation for being reliable, long lasting, hold their value very well and generally the look is tastefully designed. VWs aren't necessarily all that great from a reliability perspective, and they have that thing they call the Golf.
  • Reply 54 of 73
    desarcdesarc Posts: 642member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    Very few Honda owners do that. It's unfair for you to cast the whole bunch in a bad light for that.



    I think the comparison comes out because Hondas have a reputation for being reliable, long lasting, hold their value very well and generally the look is tastefully designed. VWs aren't necessarily all that great from a reliability perspective, and they have that thing they call the Golf.



    i don't think iPods are long lasting, nor do they hold their value. most cars are tastefully designed, save the xA, xB, Aztek, Prius, almost everything from GM/Ford...



    sorry for the stereotype, maybe it's not true, maybe it's just the case everywhere i've ever lived, worked, visited, vacationed in, or driven through.
  • Reply 55 of 73
    citycity Posts: 522member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by murphyweb View Post


    Judging by the posts on here it is clearly obvious that many folks on here do not know much about cars, which is cool i guess seen as this is a computer forum. And of course a largely American forum and we will all agree that the Americans build pretty crap and uninspiring cars. But with that in mind it needs to be noted that Steve Jobs never met with anyone from Volkswagen as one would gather from the article but met with the Volkswagen group.



    Martin Winterkorn is the Cheif Executive of the Volkswagen Group, this is a company that owns Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti (The fastest production car in the world), plus it should be noted that a major share holder of the VW group is in fact Porsche. Now you are gonna have a tough time naming a cooler car company that that.



    Honda's S2000! Is that the Porsche that requires oil added to the gasoline?
  • Reply 56 of 73
    I see myself making my deliveries in a brand new, 2010 VW Khombi, using the smart HUD to navigate the shortest route between my clients while I interface with my home computer to make an inventory update and send the new invoice to the printer under the dashboard. The smart HUD's cameras register that my eyes are looking at my iTunes icon and open up a playlist that I scroll through using eye movements and blinks. At night, there is a set of headlights that turn as my head and eyes turn, while the other set stays on the road. Certain objects and landmarks can be highlighted on the HUD as they are described on the GPS map, perhaps even highlighting the streets ahead where you are supposed to turn. How about indicators that display where microchipped pets are in proximity to your car? Or outside cameras that identify objects, especially moving ones, and can trigger collision warnings?



    I think with Apple and Volkswagen together, the possibilities are endless.
  • Reply 57 of 73
    aegisdesignaegisdesign Posts: 2,914member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Alonso Perez View Post


    But VW is not a good choice. The Apple of the auto world is, by far, Honda.



    In America perhaps. In Europe Honda have a reputation as the brand the over 50s choose when they retire and keep until they die. Admittedly that's partly Honda Europe's problem as they don't bring in the more 'interesting' Honda cars like the Element, Insight or Cube. The only exception is the Type R cars but whilst those might technically be good fast cars, the image is pretty poor with it being the cultural equivalent of a teenage thug. Quite odd how slapping a badge on a pensioner's car is enough for the kids.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Alonso Perez View Post


    Honda sells motorcycles (which was actually how they started), and ever hear of the Honda Jet?



    They also sell lawn mowers. Can't get more boring than that.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Alonso Perez View Post


    VW just makes automobiles, and the most radical thing they can think of is to go retro using a 70-year old design as a base.



    And which car company doesn't live off retro today? See the new MINI abomination, the rather cute new Fiat 500, the endless attempts by Jeep to redo the original, Toyota's FJ remake...





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Alonso Perez View Post


    VW has made nice cars, I'm not saying they haven't. But the only thing Applish about VW is the style of their early advertising, which Jobs was probably inspired by at some point. That, and the fact that early VW bug owners could be thought of as "Thinking Different". But from an industrial design point of view, VW has always been the opposite to Apple.



    Most car companies are the opposite of Apple but I'd have said VW Group were the closest.





    [QUOTE=desarc;1134293

    i'm psyched that apple chose VW. i drive an audi TT and love the thing. decent power for a tiny little car, and all wheel drive to rock the northeast winters. it's design is bold and unique. very apple.[/quote]



    Only in America would the TT be described as a tiny little car!



    I'd have thought the old A2 would be the closest match personally. Aluminium and glass with a design not everyone liked and a bit more expensive than it should be. The 1.4 diesel A2 was also more economical than a Prius and only marginally more dirty with emissions too. It was truly innovative and sadly not as popular as Audi hoped. The A1 replacement is apparently going to be a lot more conventional.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    I think the comparison comes out because Hondas have a reputation for being reliable, long lasting, hold their value very well and generally the look is tastefully designed. VWs aren't necessarily all that great from a reliability perspective, and they have that thing they call the Golf.



    I think this is a cultural thing. The traits you mention for Hondas are why only old people buy them in Europe. On the other hand VWs are marketed directly as being reliable and tasteful here in Europe compared to other cars. In the 80s there used to be adverts "If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen" and the current Passat adverts show a psychiatrist choosing a Passat while his patients are having mid-life crisis with them choosing sports cars and Harleys.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Qurmudjin View Post


    I see myself making my deliveries in a brand new, 2010 VW Khombi



    If VW brought back the VW Microbus concept vehicle they did a few years back in conjunction with Apple it'd be an absolute killer product with all the mountain bikers I know. There's nothing in that market segment just now - just boring family MPVs and 4x4s that nobody wants (very uncool in Europe now unless you're a drug dealer) or things like the Caravelle campervan with about as much cool as corduroy.



    For that matter, Honda Europe bringing the Element to Europe would probably have the same effect and throw off their fuddy-duddy image.
  • Reply 58 of 73
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Qurmudjin View Post


    At night, there is a set of headlights that turn as my head and eyes turn, while the other set stays on the road. Certain objects and landmarks can be highlighted on the HUD as they are described on the GPS map, perhaps even highlighting the streets ahead where you are supposed to turn. How about indicators that display where microchipped pets are in proximity to your car? Or outside cameras that identify objects, especially moving ones, and can trigger collision warnings?



    I think with Apple and Volkswagen together, the possibilities are endless.



    Have you ever driven behind a semi in a snow storm?

    I want infrared sensing of hot tail pipes on the vehicle in front of me.
  • Reply 59 of 73
    mr omr o Posts: 1,046member
    Oh, this would be great if true.



    Judging by all the chromey bits on the current VW's it seems that their design department is feeling clueless at the moment, severely lacking any kind of vision and creative leadership.



    I remember reading an interview where Jonathan Ive was amazed about the big challenges of designing in the automotive industry as opposed to the relative easy world of designing computers. A car could be his next challenge after the iPhone.
  • Reply 60 of 73
    mr omr o Posts: 1,046member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    It's about as reasonable as rejecting Mazda because their logo is odd.



    I am rejecting Volvo because their logo resembles the male sex symbol: a circle with an arrow pointing upwards …



    It is very juvenile from the swedes. And not done in Belgium.
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