Apple reportedly in talks with BMW, considered BMW i3 for Apple Car

[Dieter Holger]

Apple has been eyeing BMW’s i3 electric vehicle for its rumored Apple Car, but initial negotiations have now broken off, according to the German publication Manager Magazin. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook visited the BMW i3’s production line in Leipzig, met with senior officials and was reportedly “impressed” with the carbon fiber electric car.

Initial negotiations between Apple and BMW have collapsed, but talks over the Apple Car continue. BMW chief production officer Oliver Zipse told Reuters this month that BMW regularly talks with technology companies and was open to partnering with Apple.

Rumors have been flying that Apple is looking to strike into the electric driverless smart car market by 2020. The company recently hired Chrysler's Doug Betts and supposedly has hundreds of people working on the Apple Car project. By looking at the BMW i3 we can get a better idea of the kind of concept the iPhone maker wants for its mysterious Apple Car.

The BMW i3 has rear suicide doors and it can slow itself down by taking kinetic energy from its wheels to its battery. Whether you think the i3 looks striking or odd, it has a design that shows Apple wants to stand out.

Back in March, BMW denied the i3 is going to be the Apple Car, instead hinting that it could run an Apple OS for vehicles. Judging by Apple's tradition of designing the hardware and software of their products, they probably want to be involved in the Apple Car's operating system and physical design.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/61515-apple-bmw-i3-apple-car.html

 

[davislane1]

'Brembo' is not an authorized Apple hardware developer. To unlock vehicle, please reinstall factory or other approved brake discs and/or pads.

 

[BMfan]

Oh God, please don't BMW.

 

[thorpj]

Suicide Doors are called that for a reason... Who thought it was a good idea to bring them back?

 

[Henjo]

Suicide Doors are called that for a reason... Who thought it was a good idea to bring them back?

You know you have to open the front door in order to open the "suicide" door. This isn't something new, Mazda have been using doors like these for over a decade now.

 

[Hasbean]

Problem is, when you run out of gas, you have to plug the car into iTunes to perform a reset.

 

[trgz]

The i3 becomes an even more unattractive proposition - ugly and Apple-ified, blee-ech

 

[MannerMauler]

Suicide Doors are called that for a reason... Who thought it was a good idea to bring them back?

Why are they called Suicide Doors?

Back on subject, this looks interesting.

 

[davislane1]

Why are they called Suicide Doors?

Back on subject, this looks interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_door

 

[captaincranky]

As if the BMW brand isn't elitist enough, Apple wants to rebrand a beemer while raising the price even more. The hipster community should go off the pill and work on breeding a super race of hipster. What Nietzsche would have called, "The Uber Hipster". Although, as it has happened in the past, when you breed for looks, the intelligence often suffers.

How would this work? You'd need an Apple pacemaker to locate your iPhone, which would then locate your Apple watch, which would then link up with your geo-locating car keys, and eventually lead you to the ole faux beemer.

It doesn't seem to me there would be enough profit in it for Apple, if they allowed you to simply pick up your car keys and go...

 

[trgz]

As if the BMW brand isn't elitist enough, Apple wants to rebrand a beemer while raising the price even more. The hipster community should go off the pill and work on breeding a super race of hipster. What Nietzsche would have called, "The Uber Hipster". Although, as it has happened in the past, when you breed for looks, the intelligence often suffers.

How would this work? You'd need an Apple pacemaker to locate your iPhone, which would then locate your Apple watch, which would then link up with your geo-locating car keys, and eventually lead you to the ole faux beemer.

It doesn't seem to me there would be enough profit in it for Apple, if they allowed you to simply pick up your car keys and go...

Uberhipschter perhaps?

 

[captaincranky]

Uberhipschter perhaps?

Perfect!

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

I wouldn't buy either brands so it's all moot to me.

 

[Guest]

Let me guess, the car's unibody panel milled from a single block of aluminum just like other apple product

 

[RustyTech]

I wouldn't buy either brands so it's all moot to me.

I would consider BMW without crapple in it; but add that crapple and that's a solid NO.

 

[JamesandBennie]

Fascinating. Battery tech, mapping tech, liquidmetal, sapphire windshields.... But I don't believe BMW has the technology to produce car-sized solid blocks of aluminum for Apple to machine into a unibody auto.