Autoblog

Apple testifies in court that it once considered making a car

George Kennedy — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 17:35:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology

In the ongoing court battle between Apple and Samsung over copyrights and patents, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing took the stand yesterday. The majority of his testimony was centered around tablets and smartphones, and what defines intellectual property, but at one point he revealed a big nugget. Schiller told the court that Apple had been considering other projects well before smartphones, including a camera, and designing a car.

Schiller also claimed that Samsung copied, stole, and ripped-off Apple's designs in creating their own smartphones.

While Google is the tech giant most heavily involved in the automobile business with its autonomous car, it is unclear what direction Apple would have taken. Perhaps a new system of touch screen gestures to control the car. We can't be sure, other than to speculate based on a single comment from a lengthy testimony on tablets and smartphones.

Apple testifies in court that it once considered making a car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Watch F1's Mark Webber race a skydiver in Montreal [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Infiniti, Canada

If Sebastian Vettel's foray into the Kung Fu movie scene struck you as a bit of a stretch, this latest publicity stunt from Infiniti and Red Bull could be more your speed.

While in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, Australian Formula One driving ace Mark Webber headed up to north the ICAR circuit at Mirabel airport - the same place where we were schooled by the Jacques Villeneuve Academy a couple of years back - for another kind of race altogether.

That's where he met up with Jon DeVore, a competitive skydiver also sponsored by Red Bull and Infiniti. Jon showed Mark how to use a wind tunnel for something other than testing the aerodynamics of his racing car and Mark showed Jon how to get the most out of an Infiniti G37S on the track. The day culminated as it only could: with a race.

Webber took off from the start/finish line at ICAR at the same time that DeVore jumped out of a helicopter and both raced - one flat and one free-falling - towards the checkered flag. Scroll down to watch the video clip for the results and for the full press release, and scope out the high-resolution images in the gallery above for a closer look at the action.

Continue reading Watch F1's Mark Webber race a skydiver in Montreal [w/video]

Watch F1's Mark Webber race a skydiver in Montreal [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple Board Member: Steve Jobs' dream was to design iCar [w/video]

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos

There have been rumors of an Apple iCar for much longer than five years. But it was five years ago that there was enough heat under them for a German newspaper to report that Steve Jobs and Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn had met to discuss the idea. A year later another German outlet printed a photo of a VW concept (pitured) alongside an iPhone, and a columnist in the New York Times kindly asked Steve Jobs to save Detroit.

But did the iCar ever really exist as more than an idea? Mickey Drexler is the CEO of J. Crew and sits on the board of Apple Computer, and at a recent conference in New York he said that Steve Jobs' "dream before he died was to design an iCar." Drexler doesn't say when Jobs had this dream, whether it was just before he died or so long ago that it could substantiate the ancient rumors. No matter, Drexler said "He never did design it."

The edited video of Drexler's comments is posted below. And know that this doesn't mean the rumors, nor the iCar itself, are dead.

Continue reading Apple Board Member: Steve Jobs' dream was to design iCar [w/video]

Apple Board Member: Steve Jobs' dream was to design iCar [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Infiniti to roll out special Sebastian Vettel edition [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Infiniti

Sebastian Vettel in the IPL G Coupe at ICAR - Click above to watch the video after the jump

With the United States Grand Prix set to join the calendar next year in Austin, Texas, the only current stop the Formula One circus makes in North America this season is in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. And while he was in our neck of the woods, the guys over at FastLaneDaily got a chance to meet up with Red Bull's defending champion, Sebastian Vettel.

The champ took the FLD crew for a few laps in a Infiniti Performance Line (IPL) G37 Coupe around the ICAR circuit at Mirabel airport, where we were schooled a couple of years back at the Jacques Villeneuve Academy. Surely an experience in and of itself, because young Seb is widely regarded as - and sufficiently proven to be - the best driver on the grid right now. But while they were at it, the video gurus of everything automotive got a juicy tidbit of information.

Through their two-pronged partnership with Vettel and his team, Infiniti is planning a special Sebastian Vettel edition road car. This is apparently separate from the new vehicle which RBR is reportedly developing with Infiniti, and will likely come about a little earlier, though it's not clear what markets it will be offered in. As to what the model will entail - beyond some ad-ons and special badging - remains to be seen, but we'll be keeping an eye out. In the meantime, follow the jump for the run-through with FLD's Shakedown.

Continue reading Infiniti to roll out special Sebastian Vettel edition [w/video]

Infiniti to roll out special Sebastian Vettel edition [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Autoblog gets schooled at the Jacques Villeneuve Academy

Noah Joseph — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Canada, Specialty

Jacques Villeneuve Academy at ICAR - Click above for high-res image gallery

There's nothing like a Montreal summer. Once the sun starts to shine on the island metropolis after a long winter, the city transforms into a burgeoning oasis of festivals, street cafes and exotic sports cars. And grand prix or no grand prix, the world's second largest francophone city stands as one of the greatest motor sport destinations in North America, easily on par with anything Daytona or Indianapolis can throw at it.

You'd expect to hear a lot about racing drivers hailing from this capital of motorsport, but while the likes of Tagliani and Carpentier have made their mark, one name looms larger than any other: Villeneuve. Following in the footsteps of his father Gilles - the beloved fallen Ferrari driver for whom the city's F1 circuit is named - to say nothing of his eponymous uncle, Jacques Villeneuve took both the Indy 500 and CART title in 1995 before going on to win the Formula One world championship two years later. And while his track record since may fall short of his earlier successes, the name still carries a lot of weight. Especially in Montreal. So when JV opened up his own racing school just outside the city, and we found ourselves in town for a few of those precious summer days, we could hardly resist the opportunity to see what the Jacques Villeneuve Academy had to offer. Follow the jump to read what we found, and more importantly, what we learned.

Gallery: Jacques Villeneuve Academy

Continue reading Autoblog gets schooled at the Jacques Villeneuve Academy

Autoblog gets schooled at the Jacques Villeneuve Academy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jacques Villeneuve opens racing school near Montreal

Noah Joseph — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

What do you do when your racing career is reaching its end? Well, if you were high-profile enough at the height of your career, you open a racing school. That's what former Indy and Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve has done, following various attempts to remain in F1, switch to NASCAR, starting a music career, and opening his own club/restaurant in downtown Montreal.

The new school is located at the ICAR racing complex, which Villeneuve helped design, about 20 minutes north of Montreal at the largely unused Mirabel airport. One of the largest airports in the world (in terms of land size), Mirabel was originally envisioned as the future hub for supersonic air travel to and from North America. Since that never really took off, so to speak, Mirabel has a lot of extra runways - perfect for opening a race track.

The Jacques Villeneuve Academy will offer a wide range of programs from novice to expert, allowing enthusiasts and aspiring drivers to benefit from Villeneuve's once-great racing prowess. Montreal may be lacking the grand prix this year, but between the Jim Russell racing school, the Ferrari driving program and Jacques' new academy all within easy reach, the racing spirit certainly hasn't left town.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Darrell Ingham/Getty]

Jacques Villeneuve opens racing school near Montreal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 May 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

NYT columnist calls on Steve Jobs to fix Detroit

Chris Tutor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Chrysler, Ford, GM, Volkswagen

In 2001, General Motors needed a revival and Bob Lutz was anointed The One. It was widely accepted that if anyone could breathe life into a struggling car company, it was him.

Fast-forward seven years, and GM is in the midst of a possible government bailout while its stock price sinks faster than a HUMMER's gas gauge on the freeway. It would seem that Maximum Bob's legendary straight-talking reputation for taking no prisoners and slicing through corporate red tape hasn't produced the results his supporters expected.

So if Bob Lutz can't save Detroit, who can? Steve Jobs, that's who. At least that's what Pulitzer Prize-winning Thomas Friedman says in his New York Times column. While some might be averse to the company, its products and/or its leader, Apple has made a ton of money while re-defining the computer, music and mobile phone industries. Isn't innovation what Detroit needs most?

What Friedman proposes is asking Steve Jobs to perform a "national service" for his country by taking reigns of one of Detroit's automakers for a year. The columnist has so much faith in the visionary talents of Jobs, he believes we'll all be lined up for a chance to buy a shiny new Chevrolet iCar. Or a JeepPro. Or a Mercury Lisa.

But we've heard in the past that Apple's CEO has been working for the other teams, so maybe Steve Wozniak could find some time in his schedule.

[Source: The New York Times via MacDailyNews]

NYT columnist calls on Steve Jobs to fix Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Is this the iCar? Nah, couldn't be

John Neff — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Gadgets, Volkswagen

Last August speculation begin to swirl about a joint collaboration between Apple and Volkswagen to produce the unofficially named iCar. All the rumors were based on a report by a German publication that claimed Apple CEO Steve Jobs had met with Volkswagen chief Martin Winterkorn. Volkwagen confirmed the meeting, but provided no specific details about what was discussed. Topics could have ranged from Apple assisting the German automaker with the user interface of its new touchscreens, as Engadget had discovered that the VW had used a touchscreen UI very similar to Apple's Cover Flow UI in its up! concepts, to a full blown collaboratively developed car, aka the iCar. As is often the case with Apple rumors, the iCar was likely more a product of what people wished for rather than what the facts suggested. The newest issue of Autobild, however, features a never-before-seen VW concept joined on the cover by an iPhone. Is this the iCar? Who knows. It will likely pop up at some point during the next auto show season and all questions will be answered, but the Apple rumor machine will likely provide us with some outrageous explanations in the meantime.

[Source: Carscoop]

Is this the iCar? Nah, couldn't be originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Evidence of Apple and VW collaboration on up! dashboards?

Chris Tutor — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:04:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Technology, Volkswagen

Last week we told you about Volkswagen's plan to put touch screens in every one of its cars next year and wondered if maybe this is what Apple had been helping VW sort out.

Well, our brothers over at Engadget did some digging and came up with a video showing VW's UP touch interface in use. Apple fans will immediately recognize the look and feel of the images as very Coverflow or Front Row-like. Apple fanboys will have already seen all this, of course, and put their cars up for sale in anticipation of the new VW lineup (anyone want to by a 2002 Corolla, btw?).

Is this the fabled iCar? Has Apple assisted in the design of VW's new touch interface? While the video shown here is indeed intriguing, don't get excited just yet. Apple's Coverflow is easily imitated, and VW might have only been inspired by Apple's work. Even so, it would be a huge improvement over what VW uses now, and as much of a leap forward for the automotive industry as Apple's iPhone has been for mobile phone companies.

If you know Apple, they're gonna keep this pie as secret as they can until it's fully baked. But we're gonna do our best to keep an eye on it while it's cooking, so stay tuned.

[Source: Engadget]

Evidence of Apple and VW collaboration on up! dashboards? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple, Volkswagen creating the iCar?

Chris Tutor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Volkswagen

For years, an Apple-designed car has been both the butt of jokes and the dream of many an Apple fanboy. Could a fashionably cool car from Cupertino be on the horizon? German publication Sueddeutsche reports that Volkswagen chief Martin Winterkorn has been talking to Apple's CEO Steve Jobs about something, though exactly what isn't totally clear.

If you're a follower of Apple product development, you know rumors and speculation can run absurdly wild years before the company unveils anything official. Combine that fact with Google's ability to translate German (Google says Martin winter grain is the head of VW, for example) and the two might have only gotten together for a rousing game of Donkey Kong on Jobs' iPhone.

[Sources: Sueddeutsche via MacDailyNews, Financial Times Deutschland via EE Times, and Snopes]

Continue reading Apple, Volkswagen creating the iCar?

Apple, Volkswagen creating the iCar? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mitsubishi may sell i-car in the UK

Stuart Waterman — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hybrid, Europe, Hatchback, Daimler, Mitsubishi

4Car reports that Mitsubishi UK is showing the Japanese-market i-Car to British dealers and focus groups, with an eye to importing the car. Mitsubishi UK would likely sell the car in limited numbers (about 1,000 per year), as a test marketing exercise in preparation for volume introduction of the next-generation i-car in 2010.

Mitsubishi UK is prepared to invest in modifying the current i-car to meet EU standards, providing it can sell the car fully-loaded for under about $16,000 (£9,000).

The current i-car has its heritage in the now-defunct Mitsubishi-DaimlerChrysler partnership, and is based on the Smart ForTwo platform. The next-gen version will be all new, and available in a hybrid version with Mitsubishi's MIEV technology.

Mitsubishi may sell i-car in the UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments