Google obviously prioritizes its own taxi service under Waymo, over selling a car using its technology.
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Apple Hires Self-Driving Car Startup Founder and Former BMW Exec Ulrich Kranz
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Is there really any precedent that Google losing a race when it had a head-start?
Google joined the race of search engine / advertisement business after Yahoo and Microsoft, it prevailed in just several years. Google joined the race of map / navigation service after Yahoo and Mapquest, it decimated those two predecessors. Google copied Apple’s iOS with Android, it dominated iOS by 5-to-1 market share. Google joined the personal assistant fight after Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana, the other two are now basically a joke comparing with Google’s.
In this area of autonomous driving, as Google had a big head-start, there is really no chance any other companies could possibly catch up, not Tesla, not Apple.
“Google copied Apple’s iOS with Android, it dominated iOS by 5-to-1 market share.” Market share. Not profits. I’m fine with Apple making an automotive product, should they choose, that works on profitability and long term impact. And Microsoft is one of the largest companies in the world. They’ve done okay. Google seems to be doing great with its Waymo in a protected area of the self-driving car area. I give them huge props. Writing off other entrants in the automotive market is ludicrous.
I’m pretty sure that Apple isn’t into hiring sub-par employees or developing sub-par products
Frank Stephenson designed the X5 (he also designed the Ferrari 430, the McLaren P1, the new MinI, the new Fiat 500 and loto of other cars). The Z3 was designed by Joji Nagashima who was lead BMW designer until Chris Bangle took over. Ulrich Kranz did lead development of the Z3, X5, mini production and BMW i division, so it is a pretty big statement of intent from Apple to bring him onboard. Richard Kim, who designed the BMW i3 and i8, these days works for Canoo having left BMW to join Faraday Future, much like Kranz. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kim turns up at Apple in the not too distant future.
But you don't know where Goole and Apple are in relation to each other in their product / technology development cycles. All you know is where Google is because they have made public a proof of concept through Waymo. It's quite possible Apple has something better but, unlike Google, has decided not to operate a taxi company with it before it is fully baked. At this point, it is purely speculation that either company has a "big head start" over the other or if either company is working on directly competing technology.
As a BMW owner, on technology, they have made no progress for decades. They are really behind Mercedes and Audi, I only bought the BMW for the M car driving dynamics but this will be my last.
The i8 was a failure, looked good but underwhelming, the i3... omg wtf
Also a long time BMW owner here (currently own an E90 335i and E31 850i). They fell behind right around the time the F30 came out - when a Cadillac drives better than the 3 series, you know there’s a problem.
In the 70s, Mercedes was the undisputed champion in re: luxury cars. The W116 is superior to the E23 for sure.
The W126 is, while solidly built, technologically behind the E32 - the E32 had electronic dampeners, ABS, ASC+T (traction control), a fully computerized communications bus, and the first production Xenons. The W126 did have ASR and ABS, but ASR was only available in 90 - 91, so technologically the E32 is still superior to the W126.
The E31 8-series of 1989 is also a technological marvel - fully computerized communications bus, a V12 which uses three engine computers to sync the two cylinder banks, speed adaptive steering using a computer control module (servotronic). EDC, ASC+T, RDC, AHK (rear axle steering) the list goes on and on.
In the 90s, the W140 is a worthy competitor to the E38 for sure - but the driving experience of the latter is far superior. Build quality is probably a wash, as the W140 was plagued with some teething problems in the early years especially. The LS400 came out around this time, and while a fine car, is not technologically comparable - the E38’s in car ICE is leaps and bounds more advanced than the LS, to say nothing of the various options available (DSC, EDC, and so on) which weren’t available until the 3rd gen LS400 of the early 00s.
The E65 (bangle-butt) was technologically well beyond its peers, whether you like it’s derisive styling or not. It introduced iDrive, which foreshadowed all of the in car ICE for the next decade. Remember, it came out in 2002… Long term reliability was hardly great, however - the N62 is an absolutely awful motor, what with the valve stem issues and all.
Comparing, say, an E90 to a contemporary A4, it’s clear which car is more advanced - in 2021, an E90 still feels fresh, the facelift especially, what with it’s updated CIC nav system which still gets traffic and nav updates more than 10 years after production ended. Still drives better than most cars too.
Now, from 2012 on, with the awful F30, F10, and F01, what with their novocain steering, Buick Park Avenue handling, and hefty weight, yes, I’d agree, BMW has fallen behind (even the ///M division can’t entirely fix the inherent flaws of those chassis).
It is worth noting that, technologically, the i3 is a very impressive car, with a carbon-fibre frame, and is produced in a very environmentally responsible manner. Extremely commendable. It’s also RWD, like a proper BMW.
You’re right - I was referring to him being the lead developer, not the lead designer. My mistake. As I recall, Joji Nagashima also designed the E39, yes? Beautiful design.
Awesome, we have had 3 i3's and loved each and every one of them. Don't currently have one, waiting on a Tesla Y.
I guess looks are subjective, but I find it hidious. Looks aside, the carbon fibre chasis made it over priced, also the crash rating still can't rival Tesla's offerings which are lower priced. I know of someone who clipped a curbside in their i3, the CF damage was not fixable and since its a single peice the entire car got written off. Those skinny tyres don't inspire much confidence RWD or not lol. I currently have a F87 M2, handles good, sounds good, but slow compared to my Tesla but the technology felt like the old E46 M3 we had and loved.