Motor Trend Has Created an Apple Car Concept and It’s Really, Really Weird

Apple may be finally developing a car of its own, and until the car is released, there’s sure to be tons of speculation regarding what it will look like. Apple is a titan of design and technology so the prospect of the company coming up with a car is enough to get anyone excited.

Motor Trend has come up with an idea of what it thinks the Apple Car could eventually look like. Sure, the renders are totally speculative and not based on any real-life information, but the results are certainly interesting indeed.

Image: Motor Trend

The associated article is called “Apple Car Exclusive,” however most of the information contained within it is purely speculative and the design is based on one thing alone: Apple’s previous designs. Even the color of the car is in line with current iPhone options. It features a tinted glass windshield and roof, along with Apple logos on the front and on all four wheels.

The renders are certainly interesting, but I can’t help but hope the actual Apple Car looks better than a giant boxy pod. I don’t see this car going head to head with Tesla in any way.

Perhaps more interesting than the car’s looks, however, are the features that the team behind the renders included. There are a total of thirteen features highlighted by the company. For example, the roof offers a 360-degree augmented reality experience, so the people inside can see projections all the way around their heads.

The design also does away with the rear-view mirror, in favor of a camera that protrudes from the side of the car ideally improving visibility. The car also features a light bar that wraps all the way around the car. This light bar can change color and can serve as a turn signal or a way to warn other traffic and pedestrians nearby.

One feature that is perhaps more sci-fi than reality, is the way the car charges. Instead of running on gas or having a wired electrical input for charging, the car charges wirelessly. So, when you park your car at night, a smart charging system will charge the car from below without you needing to do anything at all.

Of course, the interior of the car is as important as the exterior. The inside is a little bare, but is minimalistic, and shows off other Apple products, such as the Apple TV. The steering wheel features an interesting square design.

Image: Motor Trend

Sure, the design is a fun one, but it’s not likely that the Apple Car will end up looking like this mock-up.

Rumors of the Apple Car have been gaining momentum over the past year, ever since it was first reported by the Wall Street Journal that Apple was hiring hundreds of employees to work on an electric car that had the codename ‘Project Titan’. A ton of research and development has been put into the creation of the car at a secretive building owned by Apple, where nearby residents have reportedly heard “motor sounds”.

Most sources suggest that the Apple Car will be ready for release sometime in 2019 or 2020, however a more precise timeframe has yet to be given, especially considering the reports of setbacks internally.

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, recently said that the Apple Car was an open secret, and it will certainly be interesting to see how Tesla and Apple interact once an Apple Car is released. Tesla is currently the golden child of the car industry, having just introduced the Model 3, an affordable electric car with excellent specifications. In fact, the car is so popular that only a few weeks after its launch it has over 300,000 pre-orders, an order that the company is going to have to try and fill by late 2017. Given Tesla’s track record it will be remarkable to see if the company can actually fill all of the pre-orders, with previous Tesla cars having been delivered late on multiple occasions.

Whenever Apple ends up releasing a car, it’s unlikely that it will end up looking like Motor Trend’s design. Or that it will include a wireless charging technology that doesn’t really exist. Still, when the Apple Car hits, it’s likely to be a game-changer.

Learn More: Two Peculiar New iPhone 7 Concepts Give Us a Glimpse into the Future

What do you think about Motor Trend’s design? Let us know in the comments below.