While many concept designers shared their views on the Apple Car design with us before the project was finally abandoned, a new article suggests that the reality would probably be less sporty than most of them assumed.
Since Apple initially aimed for Level 5 autonomy (without steering wheels or pedals), the main projects created internally were fewer sports cars and more minivans. …
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is focusing on maximizing interior space to create an environment reminiscent of a private jet. .
The overall idea was a minimalist interface combined with seats you'd typically see in a private jet or limousine. I was told that inside it felt like you were in a “contour bubble.” This incarnation of the car could comfortably seat four people, and the seats could be switched between regular seats, armchairs and footrests.
It was this goal that pushed Apple's designers to approach the minivan, and the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle (above) gives an idea of one of the main projects being considered.
Apple's circa 2020 design was reminiscent of the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle, a futuristic van with rounded edges, but it had jet black windows with adjustable tint. It had an all-glass sunroof, a pure white body, and tires with white walls and black centers. The front and rear were identical, so it always felt like you were driving forward.
The other design is considered “nearly identical”; to the 2017 Volkswagen ID Buzz – perhaps for good reason.
The early design, dreamed up by the legendary Jony Ive, looked like a modern reincarnation of the 1950s Volkswagen minibus. . Inside the company it was called “Bread Roll”. The second version was a development of this model and looked almost identical to the 2017 Volkswagen ID Buzz prototype.
This design was shown off inside Apple long before VW announced its concept, and it may not be a coincidence. Some employees left Apple's automotive group for the German automaker in the mid-2010s.
The last full-fledged “salon on wheels”; The variant is said to return to the ID Buzz look but replace the sliding doors with Tesla-style gullwing doors.
But one day the company began to wake up to the fact that Level 5 self-driving was more likely It was a pipe dream rather than a realistic goal: the company had to come up with a design compatible with a forward-facing steering wheel, pedals and seats (albeit ones that could be rear-facing when you're not driving).
After investing a rumored billion dollars a year in the project for a decade or more, Apple finally pulled the plug last month.
