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.
Well, Johnny Ive might move on to greener pastures if his challenges at Apple are not steep enough, but I could see him being a consultant at this point, offering Apple's point of view for interior design and interface design.
I think VW and Apple teaming up is a great idea. I just purchased a VW GTI MKV and the car is phenemonal. It's got speed, handling, good-looks, and great design. If I had to make any changes it would be the software that came with the Navigation/Radio unit. It's not awful but could use Apple's touch. If I had to make a comparison, it's kind of like Palm software - not exactly Windoze but definitely not Apple.
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.
Thanks for pointing out to that in particular, may I say, not so unimportant information,
that unfortunately everyone seemed to miss. Volkswagen Group is NOT Volkswagen.
Period.
Actually iIt's plain futile to discuss, whether Volkswagen (the cars) were the right cars for
Apple to implement their design visions and their technology. What we know is:
Apple executives talked to M. Winterkorn, who represents the VW Group. That's
it. And that's a good thing in my opinion. The car industrie is somewhat set in its
ways. Who else can stir the car industrie, other than Apple.
And yes I am German. I love beautiful objects. Negative people upset me.
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.
And if you were actually witness to the Holocaust I would have an issue with your intolerant ass for driving a car at such an old age.
As for your view we could go all the way back throughout Human History and hold a prejudice to present countries who had no control over the past since their present had yet to materialize.
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...
They should be looking back. All the new stuff sucks.
Quote:
For that matter, Honda Europe bringing the Element to Europe would probably have the same effect and throw off their fuddy-duddy image.
As far as I'm concerned you guys can have the element and the rest of the Cubes of that matter. They might be considered sporty or something in the land of the hatch, but I think they're an eye sore.
They should be looking back. All the new stuff sucks.
With you there. I drive a 1990 Mini. A design which didn't really change from 1959 on until BMW completely got it wrong with the new MINI - a car that's too big and has less interior space than the original.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BenRoethig
As far as I'm concerned you guys can have the element and the rest of the Cubes of that matter. They might be considered sporty or something in the land of the hatch, but I think they're an eye sore.
The Element couldn't really be described as sporty in the same way a hot hatch is but it certainly has utilitarian design 'charm'. I like the idea if not entirely the implementation. The other 'cubes' you have in the US also aren't available here but from the pictures I've seen are particularly odd looking for no purpose.
The new Mini is a gorgeous car and I really can't see the point mentioned above.
No, many people sadly don't.
The original Mini was an exercise in inexpensive, simple, utilitarian design. It was revolutionary. It was economical. It was classless. But most of all it was SMALL.
The BMW MINI is none of those. It's a terrible pastiche in plastic and fake metal. They forgot what the original was about and instead created some kind of weird inflated luxury hatchback. Less space on the inside, less economical, almost twice the weight. Total crap. Sure, cars have to be bigger these days to fit safety devices in but that still hasn't stopped other manufacturers from creating small, efficient cars like Smart, Fiat, Peugeot, Citreon, Toyota...
To a true Mini fan, it's like the difference between an original Mac and a 24" iMac. Both apparently the same according to the badge on the front but not really the same.
Comments
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.
Well, Johnny Ive might move on to greener pastures if his challenges at Apple are not steep enough, but I could see him being a consultant at this point, offering Apple's point of view for interior design and interface design.
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'm... floored. It's ... no.
...
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.
Thanks for pointing out to that in particular, may I say, not so unimportant information,
that unfortunately everyone seemed to miss. Volkswagen Group is NOT Volkswagen.
Period.
Actually iIt's plain futile to discuss, whether Volkswagen (the cars) were the right cars for
Apple to implement their design visions and their technology. What we know is:
Apple executives talked to M. Winterkorn, who represents the VW Group. That's
it. And that's a good thing in my opinion. The car industrie is somewhat set in its
ways. Who else can stir the car industrie, other than Apple.
And yes I am German. I love beautiful objects. Negative people upset me.
cheers
LOL and I have a friend who won't buy Japanese lenses because of the atrocities Japan committed in WWII. He only buys German.
Enough said.
LOL and I have a friend who won't buy Japanese lenses because of the atrocities Japan committed in WWII. He only buys German.
God bless those Germans...
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.
And if you were actually witness to the Holocaust I would have an issue with your intolerant ass for driving a car at such an old age.
As for your view we could go all the way back throughout Human History and hold a prejudice to present countries who had no control over the past since their present had yet to materialize.
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...
They should be looking back. All the new stuff sucks.
For that matter, Honda Europe bringing the Element to Europe would probably have the same effect and throw off their fuddy-duddy image.
As far as I'm concerned you guys can have the element and the rest of the Cubes of that matter. They might be considered sporty or something in the land of the hatch, but I think they're an eye sore.
They should be looking back. All the new stuff sucks.
With you there. I drive a 1990 Mini. A design which didn't really change from 1959 on until BMW completely got it wrong with the new MINI - a car that's too big and has less interior space than the original.
As far as I'm concerned you guys can have the element and the rest of the Cubes of that matter. They might be considered sporty or something in the land of the hatch, but I think they're an eye sore.
The Element couldn't really be described as sporty in the same way a hot hatch is but it certainly has utilitarian design 'charm'. I like the idea if not entirely the implementation. The other 'cubes' you have in the US also aren't available here but from the pictures I've seen are particularly odd looking for no purpose.
...
until BMW completely got it wrong with the new MINI - a car that's too big and has less interior space than the original.
...
The new Mini is a gorgeous car and I really can't see the point mentioned above.
cheers
a whole new car (kind of) or else if they "just" get commisioned to develop
*some* accessories.
The new Mini is a gorgeous car and I really can't see the point mentioned above.
No, many people sadly don't.
The original Mini was an exercise in inexpensive, simple, utilitarian design. It was revolutionary. It was economical. It was classless. But most of all it was SMALL.
The BMW MINI is none of those. It's a terrible pastiche in plastic and fake metal. They forgot what the original was about and instead created some kind of weird inflated luxury hatchback. Less space on the inside, less economical, almost twice the weight. Total crap. Sure, cars have to be bigger these days to fit safety devices in but that still hasn't stopped other manufacturers from creating small, efficient cars like Smart, Fiat, Peugeot, Citreon, Toyota...
To a true Mini fan, it's like the difference between an original Mac and a 24" iMac. Both apparently the same according to the badge on the front but not really the same.