Volkswagen, Apple working on 'iCar'

[mike3k]

I don't know about this... but sign me up for an iPrius!

The Prius is the most Mac-like car. You start it by pressing a single button (I have the smart key system, so I don't even have to take the 'key' out of my pocket) and it has a touch screen for all audio, climate control, and other functions. It just needs full iPod integration, so the steering wheel controls and touch screen can control the iPod.

 

[quigleybc]

I wonder if this will be only available in the US and A like the ***** iPhone.

In other words, I wonder if I will be tortured by not being 'allowed' to purchase another Apple product and get full functionality.

 

[gnasher729]

Chrysler owns Mercedes. Don't believe me? Look it up.

Don't believe you. Looked it up. DaimlerChrysler (I hope you realise it is DaimlerChrysler, not ChryslerDaimler) just sold most of Chrysler to the Cerberus Capital Management group, keeping an 18.9% interest. I guess Chrysler will be dropped from the name soon.

 

[MM2270]

But…

Will the iCar fly? Or travel through time? Or how about just drive for me while I take a nap?
If not, I'm not interested.

 

[Papajohn56]

Really? I disagree. Automobile makers that fit this stereotype, to me, are Saab and Volvo.

VW to me is young/broke ones, and they later move up to Volvo, Lexus etc

 

[lilj4425]

http://www.cu-icar.com This is ICAR. Involves BMW too.

 

[rubeeen]

I don't know about this... but sign me up for an iPrius!

lol talk about paying premium over premium.

tihs isnt the first colaboration apples had with vw

they used to run a promo with the beetle

buy a beetle get a free ipod.

 

[aardwolf]

I can see it now... the iCar runs only on Apple-provided iGas. It drives itself, but it only drives between your house and the local Apple store. It is voice-activated, but it only responds to people wearing black mock turtlenecks. Oh, and it will be obsolete in 18 months, so be prepared to upgrade to the latest version.

 

[milo]

My god, what awful news.

VW's cars have been HORRIBLE for the past few years. I can't urge you strongly enough NOT to buy a Volkswagen. Ours has had a huge number of failures, unfortunately just shy of our state's (sadly weak) lemon law. Many days in the shop, many problems in the first year and beyond ranging from multiple severe engine problems to a dead radio to bad seatbelt, door handle, cracked windshield (the dealer's fault), loud annoying noises in the car from bad assembly, and more. We ended up in court over it but sadly we couldn't get them to take the car back.

Even the basics like windshield wiper refils and antifreeze are non-standard and must be bought from a dealer.

Yes, you read that right.

ANTIFREEZE is not available at regular auto supply stores.

I can't make this point strongly enough:

DO NOT BUY A VW.

It will be the biggest regret of your life. Stay far far far away.

 

[swingerofbirch]

Unless something drastically changes in the market, I wouldn't buy a car other than a Honda or Toyota. Just based on our family having had them for decades, they are amazing cars and for some magical reason just don't seem to have problems like the Ford cars we have had (can't compare to GMC as we have never had one).

 

[milo]

That ain't a problem with your car. That's a problem with your mechanic.

Nope, it's a problem with the car. The problem with VW's is that since they use so many proprietary parts, most mechanics won't even work on them so they have to go to the dealer. There are even many oil change places that won't do VW's since they use different filters than anybody else. It just isn't worth it for them to stock the parts for one company. So you're stuck going to the dealer for many things you'd ordinarily be able to get much cheaper elsewhere.

Yup, VW's 1,000+hp W16 engine in the Bugatti Veyron is terrible...

Edit: It's the fastest production car in the world. FYI

Who cares how fast it is if it breaks down? Don't get me wrong, VW has some ideas that seem cool, and their design is nice. But their stuff has been notoriously unreliable for close to a decade now.

And for the record VW technology does not suck, you are just uninformed. Like others have said, umm, Bugatti? Audi R8? LED headlights? Oh yeah, what about the DSG? Ever heard of those before? Revolutionizing transmissions? Bringing F1 transmission systems into consumer cars?

It's telling that you're trying to defend VW by listing cars that aren't VWs. You think Bugatti means a damn thing to the VW owner stuck with a huge repair bill?

 

[Papajohn56]

http://www.cu-icar.com This is ICAR. Involves BMW too.

Hey, I go to Clemson

 

[lilj4425]

Hey, I go to Clemson

I go to Tri-County Tech right next to Clemson and am taking a transfer program for there.

 

[swindmill]

Who cares how fast it is if it breaks down? Don't get me wrong, VW has some ideas that seem cool, and their design is nice. But their stuff has been notoriously unreliable for close to a decade now.

I've owned 2 VW's and neither has had an uncommon number of problems. My current '01 Jetta was purchased in 2003 with 75,000 miles on it. The only problem I've had in just under 5 years is a bad mass air meter, which cost me $50 to replace. You can get unlucky with any car.

 

[jephrey]

Does anyone in here agree with me that the best thing for Apple is to get their iWhatever integrated into as many automobiles as they can? Currently, simple audio hookup has been made available through many car companies (although usually through an 1/8" jack in the stereo). I would think that the iCar may just be better connectivity off the bat, meaning that you'd acutally dock your pod in your car, control it with the stereo controls (whether that be on the stereo itself or on your wheel), and you'd get visual feedback through another screen... Or maybe you even dock your iWhatever where a stereo would typically be, and use it to tune to a station or play music. Secondly, and not because it's VW, the only thing that would make this bad is if they said that for the next 2 years they will partner with only VW. If VW takes the lead in offering these things, then so be it. I personally don't have any issue with VW (or any of the gay guys that drive them ). I actually think that they and Nissan have done a pretty good job getting some kind of connectivity to the lower-end car buyers.

flame on.

J

 

[walangij]

It's telling that you're trying to defend VW by listing cars that aren't VWs. You think Bugatti means a damn thing to the VW owner stuck with a huge repair bill?

Sorry, by VW I mean VAG aka Volkswagen Auto Group. The R&D is shared between all companies, DSG is shared, LED headlights are shared, Bugatti's powerplant is a Volkswagen engine. Yeah and a VW owner stuck with should be aware when they purchase that their repair bills will be more that domestic or asian cars.

 

[Papajohn56]

I go to Tri-County Tech right next to Clemson and am taking a transfer program for there.

Bridge student? I've heard some stories.

 

[zarzch]

tihs isnt the first colaboration apples had with vw

they used to run a promo with the beetle

buy a beetle get a free ipod.

Hey, that reminds me, I bought a Beetle when they were running that free ipod promotion. Four years later, my Beetle is still a beautiful car that has been largely trouble-free while the ipod, with its flakey and clunky pre-clickwheel interface, looks pretty dumb and sits unused.

So which company is going to be benefit from this collaboration again?

 

[craigverse]

rrrrrrrrrrrright... thats why they're europe's largest auto manufacturer, and the 3rd or 4th largest auto manufacturer in the world.

Maybe there's just a LOT of woman and gay men who buy cars. Not everyone can have a lifted ford something or other pos/

 

[CLuv]

The repairs aren't cheap, that is correct compared to some but not all domestic and asian cars. From experience you would be surprised that new brakes and rotors on a Jetta is actually cheaper then on a Ford Focus when you go to a dealership. Although, if you're going to buy a european car or a "upscale" asian or domestic be prepared for costly repairs. If you don't plan for that, then you're just as bad as someone who gets pissed about something when it's in a manual or you plan a class action lawsuit because you think it's unfair that the iPhone is locked for use with only AT&T.

Slicecom, nice pics of your VW. Too bad my mods aren't complete, but that is what this weekend is for.

 

[Plutonius]

The question in my mind is: can VW improve the quality of their cars to make it a worthy purchase? Consumer Reports has lately been showing VW and Audi and others towards the bottom of the quality list.

Agreed....

My cars have always been VWs but any future cars I get will not be a VW. If you are considering getting a VW, don't.

 

[ddrueckhammer]

This is interesting but if true I hope Apple does the electrical design of the car and not VW.

My girlfriend had a 2001 Beetle that had major electrical problems the entire time she had it which got progressively worse as time went on. We could never get it fixed and eventually had to trade it in because nothing electrical worked and it beeped constantly when you drove it.

We tried to get VW to fix it when it was under warranty but I suspect that the mechanics just reset the engine codes every time and a week later we would be back in the same predicament. After the car went out of warranty, they then wanted to charge $5,000 to rewire the car (it was only worth $8500 at the time).

The final straw was the air conditioner going out (she could live with constant beeping and gauges, warning lights etc. not working but she couldn't live with the stifling Florida Summer heat), she traded for a 2007 Mini Cooper and I have to say that the quality level on that car is far better (at least on the surface) than the Beetle. Of course, it is made by BMW and their excellent warranty coverage played no small part in her decision to buy it.

It may be she just got a bad Beetle, but the car had low quality overall as the paint on the inside plastic parts all started peeling after a couple of years as well.

 

[CLuv]

I might consider an asian car again if they can figure out that I want to feel the power get to the wheels, and work on some other items. Asian cars rely too much on high revs in order to get moving, while european cars rely on good ol' fashion torque. Accord, there's no power until you get into high revs, same thing with majority Nissans and Toyotas. It's nice to have power from the start and throughout the power-band.

ddrueckhammer, the other problem is I think there are a good portion of mechanics at VW that don't know their own cars. That's why I ask for the shop foreman to fix mine, plus it's good to have your friend as a Service Advisor. Then you know at least some donkey won't be working on your car, and it'll get fixed right the first time.

 

[Plutonius]

I've owned 2 VW's and neither has had an uncommon number of problems. My current '01 Jetta was purchased in 2003 with 75,000 miles on it. The only problem I've had in just under 5 years is a bad mass air meter, which cost me $50 to replace. You can get unlucky with any car.

Do a forum search on VW and you will find out that up until 2000 or so, most people loved them. After that time, most people were not happy with them. Your 2001 is not representative of the problems with the current VWs. Do a search on VWs and (engine coils, cv joints, air conditioning, electrical, and windows) to see a sample of the chronic problem VW owners have been having lately.

MacRumors also has some long VW threads.

 

[3282872]

I love how this post has brought out all the macho types, comparing cars and engine sizes (over compensation maybe? lol).

In the end, as automobiles are one of the biggest contributors to green house gases, instead of moaning about engines not "feeling" the road or which car has the fastest engine, how about alternative energy sources to keep the planet alive enough for all the automobile enthusiasts to gloat over their cars . All this R&D in making cars faster is NOT what we need.