Apple Designing Car Interfaces?

MacRumors · Aug 30, 2007, 11:15 AM

While an earlier report today claimed that Volkswagen and Apple were working on integrating Apple products into future Volkswagen models, reader Chris Bangle notes that Apple may have been working on control interfaces for at least one upcoming luxury car.

CarMagazine.co.uk has a feature about the upcoming Jaguar XF, and an interview with the designer, Ian Callum.

The interview concludes with Callum talking about the new Jaguar's gearshift mechanism ("JaguarDrive"), and claims that Apple has had some involvement with their design:

Quote:

‘Step inside and the starter button starts to pulsate like a heartbeat. Press it and the car comes to life. The air vents rise up and the JaguarDrive Selector pops up. We took so much comment on the old J-gate change and felt it was time for a change. The dial takes up less space, too. We have been working with Apple on control interfaces.

A description of the JaguarDrive Selector describes it as follows:

Quote:

The JaguarDrive Selector replaces a conventional gearstick. Sitting flush with the centre console, it rises electrically when the ignition is turned on. It's a metallic rotary dial (not dissimilar to BMW's iDrive control) that twists to change gear on the standard six-speed automatic box, rotating easily between P, R, N and D. We've tested it and its action is pleasant and seamless. Importantly, it frees up oodles of extra space on the console.

Apple was also the focus of an earlier rumor that Apple was working on car navigation and sound systems in partnership with Mercedes for a 2009 launch.

Article Link

Aldyn · Aug 30, 2007, 11:17 AM

it was only a matter of time.

i had always thought to myself, how cool would it be if all the buttons in the car glowed when you touched them like the 3g ipod / power button on the cinema displays. i'm excited to see what's truly up.

gugy · Aug 30, 2007, 11:17 AM

cool!

I hope Audi, Mercedes and BMW are also working with Apple.
It's time to upgrade my old car.

quigleybc · Aug 30, 2007, 11:20 AM

THAT"S AWESOME.....for wealthy people...

stcroixsailor · Aug 30, 2007, 11:20 AM

sounds cool-my dad has a bmw with iDrive- it's clunky and not easy to use at all. Maybe this will be better.

totolad · Aug 30, 2007, 11:20 AM

Lets hope that the system is going to be much better than the BMW I-Drive system which I have to use every day. The system is unresponsive and stupid in the way that you have to control nearly the entire car through it. Perhaps VW Audi, will have a better design?

Antares · Aug 30, 2007, 11:20 AM

I want this in my next car!

Apple improves and simplifies interfaces....They could do wonders for the automobile industry. It's no surprise why they changed to Apple Inc....the company is really branching out.

Chris Bangle · Aug 30, 2007, 11:24 AM

Finally... Ive been posting this since Tuesday and have been mocked and ridiculed... Finally someone realised that Apple and Jaguar worked together.

I would love some recognition.

iHerzeleid · Aug 30, 2007, 11:24 AM

Well I guess Chris Bangle's SCREAMING got heard.

~Shard~ · Aug 30, 2007, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gugy

cool!

I hope Audi, Mercedes and BMW are also working with Apple.
It's time to upgrade my old car.

I'm sure Jaguar isn't the only one. And if they are, surely other companies will be interested now that the news is out. Hopefully we will see more design improvements of this nature in the future, regardless of whether it's Apple's doing or not.

Oh, and posting a one-word reply, then going back and editing it in a sad attempt to get the first post in the thread? Pretty weak - and you failed in any case...

Chupa Chupa · Aug 30, 2007, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gugy

cool!

I hope Audi, Mercedes and BMW are also working with Apple.
It's time to upgrade my old car.

Especially BMW. Their iDrive and iPod adapter needs SERIOUS UI work, especially the iPod adapter which offers no quick and easy way to go from A to Z.

El Capitano · Aug 30, 2007, 11:27 AM

Isn't Chris Bangle head of design for BMW?!

Chris Bangle · Aug 30, 2007, 11:27 AM

From the article i assumed that Jaguar helped design the Sat Nav and the interfaces on the touchscreen screen on the dash... Someone will need to get in touch with Jaguar and ask them for more info..... Apple have certainly kept this quiet

Pictor · Aug 30, 2007, 11:27 AM

Chris Bangle? Wouldn't be the same Chris Bangle of the BMW `Bangle Butt' fame?

It's odd that Jaguar is working with Apple since Ford (Jaguars parent) has been working with MSFT.

Chris Bangle · Aug 30, 2007, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Capitano

Isn't Chris Bangle head of design for BMW?!

Yes he is... Sadly im not the real Chris Bangle

Ive been screaming it on the forums... Not the real Chris Bangle...

iJawn108 · Aug 30, 2007, 11:29 AM

Apple is becoming the lotus of the tech world. They are the go to people for design.

Corrosive vinyl · Aug 30, 2007, 11:29 AM

it definitely seems as though computer has been extracted from apple.
so, if i want the latest

products i have to switch phone services and buy a new car? whatever happened to simplicity?

AdMan2007 · Aug 30, 2007, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Bangle

Finally... Ive been posting this since Tuesday and have been mocked and ridiculed... Finally someone realised that Apple and Jaguar worked together.

I would love some recognition.

LOL. You were screaming (literally) for some attention. Maybe it was the double-posts or the CAPS THAT SCREAMED AT EVERYONE, but either way it was a good find.

But seriously. Next time, lose the CAPS!

zombitronic · Aug 30, 2007, 11:33 AM

C'mon, AAPL, buy me a new car!!

Yateball · Aug 30, 2007, 11:36 AM

*Fingers Crossed* for this in the Pontiac G5!!

hahaha I know I'm dreaming, but dammit don't wake me up!

plumbingandtech · Aug 30, 2007, 11:38 AM

Come on BMW!

Drop that stupid iDrive and put a REAL i(phone)Drive in!

zoetropeuk · Aug 30, 2007, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdMan2007

LOL. You were screaming (literally) for some attention. Maybe it was the double-posts or the CAPS THAT SCREAMED AT EVERYONE, but either way it was a good find.

But seriously. Next time, lose the CAPS!

WTF does using CAPS have to do with screaming at people, I've never understood it and never will. It makes no difference whether the text is capitalised or not, just GET OVER IT ALREADY.

BornAgainMac · Aug 30, 2007, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yateball

*Fingers Crossed* for this in the Pontiac G5!!

hahaha I know I'm dreaming, but dammit don't wake me up!

Yes, Pontiac G5 next Tuesday for me. ha ha.
I am glad Apple is stretching their legs. It is time to change that auto industry and bring some innovation.

motulist · Aug 30, 2007, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corrosive vinyl

it definitely seems as though computer has been extracted from apple.
so, if i want the latest

products i have to switch phone services and buy a new car? whatever happened to simplicity?

I assume you're joking, because that is some of the faultiest logic I've heard in a long time.

IEatApples · Aug 30, 2007, 11:41 AM

I've always felt that

should have a design department that could be contracted by other companies to help them with design!

I want the world to look & function better (…an improved GUI if you will)!

Aug 30, 2007, 11:17 AM	#2
Aldyn macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2006	it was only a matter of time. i had always thought to myself, how cool would it be if all the buttons in the car glowed when you touched them like the 3g ipod / power button on the cinema displays. i'm excited to see what's truly up. __________________ 24" iMac . 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo . 2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM . NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB SDRAM

Aug 30, 2007, 11:17 AM	#3
gugy macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: La Jolla, CA	cool! I hope Audi, Mercedes and BMW are also working with Apple. It's time to upgrade my old car. __________________ MacPro 2.8 Octo, 30" and 23" Cinema Displays, PB 550,MacBook Pro 2.2, iPod 1G, Shuffle 2G, iPhone 3G

Aug 30, 2007, 11:20 AM	#4
quigleybc macrumors 68030 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Beautiful Vancouver British Columbia, Canada	THAT"S AWESOME.....for wealthy people... __________________ Black Book Black iPhone powermacg5 * iPod touch,nano,shuffle,3g * etc...

Aug 30, 2007, 11:20 AM	#6
totolad macrumors member Join Date: Dec 2006	Bmw Lets hope that the system is going to be much better than the BMW I-Drive system which I have to use every day. The system is unresponsive and stupid in the way that you have to control nearly the entire car through it. Perhaps VW Audi, will have a better design? __________________ 24" Early 2008 iMac, 3.06, 4GB RAM, 1TB Drive. 16GB iPhone 20" iMac late 06, 2.16 C2D, 3Gb Ram, 2x 500Gb D2 Quadra's, Bose Companion 5.

Aug 30, 2007, 11:24 AM	#8
Chris Bangle macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: UK	Finally... Ive been posting this since Tuesday and have been mocked and ridiculed... Finally someone realised that Apple and Jaguar worked together. I would love some recognition. __________________ imac G4....Classic II....Performa 6200....2nd gen 4gb blue mini....30gb black 5g....2nd gen 1gb shuffle.....

Aug 30, 2007, 11:20 AM	#5
stcroixsailor macrumors member Join Date: Dec 2006	sounds cool-my dad has a bmw with iDrive- it's clunky and not easy to use at all. Maybe this will be better.

Aug 30, 2007, 11:20 AM	#7
Antares macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Somewhere in the Milky Way....a little place called Chicago	I want this in my next car! Apple improves and simplifies interfaces....They could do wonders for the automobile industry. It's no surprise why they changed to Apple Inc....the company is really branching out.

Aug 30, 2007, 11:24 AM	#9
iHerzeleid Banned Join Date: May 2007	Well I guess Chris Bangle's SCREAMING got heard.

Aug 30, 2007, 11:27 AM	#12
El Capitano macrumors member Join Date: Jan 2004	Isn't Chris Bangle head of design for BMW?!

Aug 30, 2007, 11:27 AM	#14
Pictor macrumors newbie Join Date: Aug 2007	Hmmm Chris Bangle? Wouldn't be the same Chris Bangle of the BMW `Bangle Butt' fame? It's odd that Jaguar is working with Apple since Ford (Jaguars parent) has been working with MSFT.

Aug 30, 2007, 11:29 AM	#16
iJawn108 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Apr 2006	Apple is becoming the lotus of the tech world. They are the go to people for design. __________________ Black MacBook \| Core Duo 2 GHz \| 2 GB Ram \| 320 GB HDD \| OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 - iPod Touch \| 16 GB Camino OpenSolaris

Aug 30, 2007, 11:29 AM	#17
Corrosive vinyl macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2006	it definitely seems as though computer has been extracted from apple. so, if i want the latest products i have to switch phone services and buy a new car? whatever happened to simplicity? __________________ "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." "Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind. " -Einstein

Aug 30, 2007, 11:33 AM	#19
zombitronic macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2007	C'mon, AAPL, buy me a new car!!

Aug 30, 2007, 11:36 AM	#20
Yateball macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2007	Fingers Crossed for this in the Pontiac G5!! hahaha I know I'm dreaming, but dammit don't wake me up! __________________ iMac 20" Core 2 Duo (256mb Graphics Card & 2GB RAM Upgrades) Macbook Core 2 Duo iPod Video 5.5g 80gb (With iPod Linux) iPod Shuffle 1st gen (eww)

Aug 30, 2007, 11:38 AM	#21
plumbingandtech macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jun 2007	Come on BMW! Drop that stupid iDrive and put a REAL i(phone)Drive in!

Aug 30, 2007, 11:41 AM	#25
IEatApples macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Northern Hemisphere (Hamar, Norway)	I've always felt that should have a design department that could be contracted by other companies to help them with design! I want the world to look & function better (…an improved GUI if you will)! __________________ You think that's air you're breathing now? It's Mac OS Mac Pro 2,8GHz Quad, GTX 285, 6GB RAM, 2,25 TB HDD, Dell 2408WFP MySpace

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