Apple iCar? Oh yes…
August 30, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
The Internet is alive with rumours today that Apple is in talks with Volkswagen to build a small compact car, most probably dubbed, iCar.
I say this is a rumour because the only evidence I have to go with, is talks between Volkswagen chief Martin Winterkorn and Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs, about, well, something.
EE Times reports the plan is to build a small sub $10,000 car to attract young buyers who are loyal to the Apple ideology. Will it work? I don’t think so.
Not that I don’t love Apple and what they have achieved in the last few years, but the difference between an iPod and an iCar will be quality issues, think about it for a minute, for around $10,000, the iCar is bound to have some shortcomings.
As far as I can see, at least the iCar will share one thing with the iPod, at that price, it will most likely be built in China!
- Alborz Fallah
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So you say ” Rumours” and thats all you have to go on yet quoting from your article (which i cant make heads or tails of) such as statements like Quote= “The difference between an iPod and an iCar will be quality issues” WTF ? And Quote ” at its intended price of around $10,000 will be of poor build quality” how do you know the quality will be poor? So Car Advice are you going to tell one of the biggest tech companys in the world ” it wont work” ?
I have an iPOD and it works fantastic or maybe you think the Volkswagon part of the idea wont work? Hmmmm better call them caradvice and let them know “It wont work because of poor quality”
280zx, I am simply putting 1 and 2 together, for $10,000, as the rumour suggests, no manufacturer can build a half decent car, and thats a fact.
Apple is good at making computers and MP3 players, and VW is good at building cars, it would be a shame to see both companies damage their image by trying to combine their resources for a cheap yet ‘trendy’ car.
What if the rumored $10,000 price tag is in US dollars? That would make things entirely more plausable now wouldnt it!
Think about it, BMW made a niche car company in Mini, Mercedes made a niche car company in Smart, so why isn’t it plausable that VW would want to make a niche car company? I’m thinking they almost certainly WOULD like to have a niche car company, and see the idea of linking up with a technology leader, not to mention a brand with a very strong identity, as the best way to put that niche brand together! Think about it, it makes sense..
no the 10,000 is the estimated AUD price, about 8000 USD, even at 10,000 USD, still can’t be that great,
as for VW looking for a niche brand, they already own Skoda.
I guess we will just have to wait and see, it will be a few years away at best.
Skoda is not a niche brand, skoda is a the VW groups “cheap” brand, using VW platforms to create their cars but with a price undercut of around 20%.
Niche brands are the linkes of Mini and Smart, brands which produce niche cars (funnily enough) such as the mini cooper and smart fortwo, and possibly the apple iCar?
Great idea.
I can see it now…
White or black only at first. The battery will go flat on trips longer than 4 hours (which VW service will deny), windscreens will crack easily, you’ll ONLY be able to use Apple branded parts to service it and accessories will include headlamp, bonnet protectors and a whole car condom protector. It will be steered and driven using a thumb and it will only come with a 12 month warranty. Keys would come on a long white cord that you hang around your neck to advertise just how cool you are when not using your car.
It’d be far cheaper for Apple to just work with each model in the range to integrate Ipod connectivity and maybe some features like individual colours and trims, that way it’s still unique but the uses each company’s strengths. Dare say this one’s a nice rumour.
I think its a great symbiosis for these two niche companies, i own a volkswagen golf and an apple macbook pro, so for me i could be a little bias about responding to the ‘rumors’. But there is no denying the fact that both companies are built on a reputation of products that are well designed, have perceived high quality standards. So i think people who appreciate those qualities, who need a new very small car and want to help save the planet will definitely buy this car, but these people are far and few between. I think if apple teamed up with say toyota, honda or mazda, they might have a larger potential market because volkswagen, in australia at least, for some reason isn’t as hip or cool as the other mentioned makes, probably to do with marketing or the slightly higher price. I wonder who initiated the program, apple or volkswagen? Any thoughts on the question people?