The Apple Car could have looked like this, and it’s less appealing than Xiaomi’s car

The Apple Car project caused a lot of discussion, but it was ultimately abandoned. Mark Gurman, journalist at Bloomberg and Apple specialist, revealed the details of this aborted project. And the least we can say is that the design of the car is not as dreamy as that of Xiaomi’s car.

After years of rumors and speculation, we finally know what the Apple Car could have looked like. But the project was abandoned, and it must be admitted that the design of the car is not as dreamy as that of Xiaomi’s car. Mark Gurman, journalist at Bloomberg and Apple specialist, revealed the details of this aborted project.

A futuristic design, but not very attractive

According to Mark Gurman, the Apple Car would have resembled a minivan, with a minimalist interface and comfortable seats, similar to those of a private jet or limousine.

The car’s design in 2020 resembled the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle, a futuristic minivan with rounded edges, dark black windows with adjustable tint, a full glass sunroof, a pure white exterior, and white wall tires.

The front and rear were identical, making it appear as if the car was always going forward.

Another design, dreamed up by Jony Ive, looked like a modern reincarnation of the 1950s Volkswagen Bus.

A second version of this design was almost identical to the 2017 Volkswagen ID.Buzz prototype, and some Apple employees reportedly even left the company to join the German automaker in the mid-2010s.

Autonomous driving, an unrealistic goal

But Apple’s project ultimately failed on the issue of autonomous driving. The company wanted a car that could drive itself, without a steering wheel or pedals. But it appeared that level 5 autonomous driving, that is to say without any human intervention, was more of a pipe dream than a realistic objective.

Apple therefore had to resolve to design a design compatible with a forward-facing steering wheel, pedals and seats.

An abandoned project

After investing a billion dollars a year into the project for a decade or more, Apple finally decided to abandon the Apple Car last month.

The project, which had aroused so much fascination and rumors, will therefore never see the light of day. And we must admit that the design of the car, although futuristic, does not make us dream as much as that of the recently unveiled Xiaomi car.