Taking Apple products and patents for inspiration, A UK-based vehicle-leasing company called Vanarama has offered a detailed look at what it thinks the first Apple Car could look like. You can explore the 3D concept render inside and out.
Vanarama said it based its speculative design — a coupe SUV — largely on “genuine patents filed by Apple.” The Cupertino tech giant’s characteristic silence about its plans for a car left Vanarama to its own imagination aided by existing Apple designs plus patents Apple has filed or won.
Fully rotating chairs, coach doors, scooped windows
Photo: Vanarama
Several features in the renders are based on Apple patents. They include the way the seats fully rotate, which can transform the interior into more of a living-room space. And a pillar-less design allows access through coach doors that open outward from the center.
The coach doors “offer greater flexibility for passenger movement and loading, with scooped windows that increase headroom when boarding,” Vanarama said.
Photo: Vanarama
Siri voice assistant, custom dash and nav
Another feature based on patents is Siri built into the steering column. That’s from a patent for an intelligent automated assistant, of course. Another patent-driven choice is the integrated, customizable dashboard and navigation screen.
Photo: Vanarama
Some design aspects of the vehicle are based on Apple products. Those include the retractable door handles that look a bit like iPhone buttons and the mesh-like grille resembling the Mac Pro’s vents. On the grille, a glowing logo brings to mind logos on some MacBook versions. And Vanarama said the car’s frosted white finish is “a popular color scheme since the iPhone 4 launched in 2010.”
Take a look at the full gallery of Vanarama images.
Plans for an actual Apple Car
Photo: Vanarama
Apple filing patents that could relate to car developing don’t guarantee anything, but they support the widely reported idea that the company continues to pursue car development, despite apparent setbacks and delays.
Reports have indicated Apple is forging ahead on an Apple-designed car. Observers expect the company will make a fully autonomous vehicle. There has been talk of a vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals for fully hands-off driving. However, some controls may be required so a person can take control of the vehicle in an emergency.
The timeframe for a launch of an Apple self-driving car could fall anywhere from 2024 to 2027, according to speculation. Most bets target the latter two-thirds of that range, 2025 or later.
