It has been reported that Volkswagen and Apple are currently discussing the idea of producing a car together. Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn met earlier this month in California to discuss the possible joint-venture. No details about the car have been released, but it has already been dubbed the “iCar.”
According to Germany’s Capital magazine, research has shown that a compact car upgraded with Apple products would be of great interest to young target groups.
VW and Apple have worked together before. In 2003, the two companies joined forces in the “Pods Unite” promotion, in which VW gave a complimentary Apple iPod to anyone who purchased a Beetle.
Jaguar consults with Apple
Meanwhile, Jaguar has apparently worked with Apple on in-car computer interfaces. Speaking with the U.K.’s Car magazine about the rotary JaguarDrive gear selector in the new XF sedan, designer Ian Callum said, “We have been working with Apple on control interfaces.”
Mercedes rumors
In June, rumors emerged that Apple was developing a navigation system for Mercedes-Benz. The technology will debut for the 2009 model year, German magazine Focus said.
08/30, 8:56 AM
posted by:
RicardoHead
And together, VW/Apple will bring you the gayest car known to mankind.
08/30, 9:05 AM
posted by:
jJayC08
Sounds like the Toyota-Sony partnership. I’m sort of sick of everything having an “i” added to the beginning of it.
08/30, 9:20 AM
posted by:
shahedc
Will the steering wheel look like the iPod dial interface?
~shahedc
.
08/30, 9:43 AM
posted by:
buenos
Gayest car known to mankind? Not a bad demographic to go after. Highest disposable income, most spent per capita on luxury items, etc., etc. It’s a demographic that every volume automaker wants.
Orientation aside, Apple has brilliant design (iDrive, COMMAND, MMU could all take some lessons from Apple interfaces), and it would be fascinating to see what they come up with in a partnership with Volkswagen
08/30, 9:48 AM
posted by:
jJayC08
^ Buenos… I’m not to sure about gays being the best demographic to go after, as most of them are in the closet as of now…
Just out of curiousity, where do you get your figures, highest disposable income, spent per capita on luxury items?
I agree though, it would be neat to see an Ipod designed car.
08/30, 10:25 AM
posted by:
Karkat
He is rite, they do have a great deal of disposable income, partly due to them not having any children to worry about. I do not associate apple or VW with being gay. So im not sure why you said that. Perhaps cause apple is based in San Fran, or near it? Who cares anyways. I think it sounds like a neat idea. Something different.
08/30, 10:40 AM
posted by:
buenos
jJayC08 - Stats come from those who responded in an identifiable manner in the last Canadian Census. When you think about it, it makes sense. Even if closeted, the demo still has fewer kids, and therefore a higher level of disposable income, as a group they tend to have higher education levels and higher earning potentials than average. Similar information can also be found in CARD (Canadian Advertising Rates and Data). It also shows that the demographic has a higher number of “early-adopters” as in people who tend to purchase the newest first, especially technology, as well as being image oriented, hence the higher per-capita spending on luxury items.
08/30, 10:47 AM
posted by:
AMGoff
as long as they were badged apple and not vw… then that would make it an American car.. which means I could buy one…. hmmm… a MacCoupe, MacCoupePro, MacSedan, MacSedanPro… If they were like their computers, I’d buy one… easy to use, just works, and lasts forever.
08/30, 11:10 AM
posted by:
autonut
Now I know why I had to replace all iPods that I purchased for my children in 2003: they have famous VW quality built in!
08/30, 12:04 PM
posted by:
maximus
Ricardohead: 1
VW: 0
08/30, 12:11 PM
posted by:
Cyclone of Red
I dunno…I always associated Apple and VW with hippies, not homos…..
….oh wait, they’re the same thing. Game on.
08/30, 12:21 PM
posted by:
Passizzle
They are not working on an actual carr. Apple will be working with car companies to improve user interfaces so we are not stuck with future renditions of iDrive or the like. This is all about user experience inside the vehicle.
08/30, 12:57 PM
posted by:
Carguy5
Well they should be more clear on what they mean cuz it says vw and apple are producing a car together which can mean anything really.
08/30, 1:07 PM
posted by:
RicardoHead
Guess Deanster and I both got edited out of here by the politically correct cowards. This site must be run out of california
08/30, 1:19 PM
posted by:
RicardoHead
By the way, I do wish it were
..CHRysler
and APPLE.
08/30, 3:30 PM
posted by:
A4
what the hell does apple know about building cars? ooh wow here you go VW free ipod cable if you put our logo on your car. FANCY! iPhone integration, ipod integration, not enough at all to justify an alliance. Apple has nothing to do with cars and it should stay that way. Its like having microsoft team up with GM so you can play solitaire in your hummer.
08/30, 3:43 PM
posted by:
c4Menace
Sucks I dont like Ipods.. I do like VW/Audi
Lith-Ion batteries suck bigtime and only last 16 months, their chessey Toshiba hard drives fail all the time, and they scratch easy. Oh yea, they have 120% markup.
If your on the market for an mp3 player go creative and pick up a nice zen for under 200$.. they sound better, support more formats, and last allot longer.
08/30, 4:20 PM
posted by:
Deanster
My deleted post said something about midwestern American suburban housewives.
Fight the MAN! YEAH!!!
08/30, 4:23 PM
posted by:
RicardoHead
My post referenced your midwestern housewives, gays, the cost and quality of the sex toys each uses, and how one group thinks its bowel movements are made of gold.
08/30, 6:10 PM
posted by:
Deanster
^ LOL!!
08/31, 11:42 AM
posted by:
AgmLauncher
You mean they’re not the same company????????
Apple and VW pander to such similar markets of people it’s scary.
08/31, 1:23 PM
posted by:
AMGoff
bad mouth apple all you want… not only do they know how to run a business, but they know how to make and market products people want to buy (and will sometimes stand in very long lines to buy). I bought in at $14 a share.. several years and a couple of splits later their price per share sits at ten times that. A company with a market cap of around $115,000,000,000 has to be doing something right.
09/01, 7:53 AM
posted by:
Got Handling?
Why is VW’s rep for reliability awful in the US and brilliant in Europe? Is it ’cause you guys are using the wrong-sized spanners or what?