4 ms·

Ford is probably ahead or at least in parity with BMW/Mercedes. That you lump Ford in with GM is a huge red flag to the rest of your contentions.

Godel_unicode 10y ago
You left out the company which I think is the obvious Apple contender; Porsche, which is the gold standard for premium cars and SUVs. Porsche is the reason that Tesla is in trouble, they are the best example of having an exciting car that is instantly recognizable and extremely high quality, yet superbly engineered and (this is the Tesla-killing part) just as nice inside as outside or under the hood. If Apple were to make a gasoline powered car, they'd make the 911 turbo. It even comes in white :) https://goo.gl/images/LF95vo https://goo.gl/images/LF95vo
- sjwright 10y ago
  Porsche is hardly a gold standard. They're not unique, just another in a large line of boutique car brands that have a different design language and a different set of engineering goals. Meanwhile their big-selling models, the Cayenne and Macan are little more than dolled-up Audis, which are in turn little more than dolled-up Volkswagens. It appears they've managed to fend away the VW Group short-cuts and corruption for now, but I'm sceptical whether that can last. Nothing in the automotive industry parallels well with Apple, largely because the automotive industry isn't conducive to rapid evolution, short product cycles and aggressive market disruption. The best case scenario is for Apple to keep pace with Tesla's product cadence but with faster volume shipments through off-shore manufacturing. Their first product will almost inevitably be a minimum viable product comparable to the original iPhone and original iPad. Remember those products? Enough to prove the idea to an audience, but look like rough beta products 24 months later.
  - unprepare 10y ago
    How many people buy a new car every 12-24 months though?
    - sjwright 10y ago
      I don't want to buy a new car every 12-24 months, but I would like to have the option to meaningfully upgrade the entertainment system every so often, even if it cost money. Imagine if the entertainment unit was actually just an iPad Mini in a nicely integrated mount. But if you wanted, you could simply swap it out for the latest model of any size. Buy a new iPad and your car now has a bigger screen. -- If Apple could disrupt the industry in any way, it would be to sell a car that thwarted obsolescence better than any that came before it. Imagine being able to buy a car today and five years from now have it fitted with the latest safety system and radar... (It's the same problem with TVs – those integrated "smart" features are mediocre from day one and become obsolete long before the display itself.)
- matt4077 10y ago
  Porsche has nothing in common with Apple except being expensive. The value proposition of a Porsche is not generated by clever engineering but simply raw power and valuable materials. Porsche is a high-end gaming desktop. The smart car is (or at least was, when launched) much closer: different, innovative, a bit quirky. Prediction: The Apple car will be electric, not terribly fast, probably a two-seater.

Godel_unicode 10y ago

You left out the company which I think is the obvious Apple contender; Porsche, which is the gold standard for premium cars and SUVs. Porsche is the reason that Tesla is in trouble, they are the best example of having an exciting car that is instantly recognizable and extremely high quality, yet superbly engineered and (this is the Tesla-killing part) just as nice inside as outside or under the hood. If Apple were to make a gasoline powered car, they'd make the 911 turbo. It even comes in white :) https://goo.gl/images/LF95vo https://goo.gl/images/LF95vo

sjwright 10y ago
Porsche is hardly a gold standard. They're not unique, just another in a large line of boutique car brands that have a different design language and a different set of engineering goals. Meanwhile their big-selling models, the Cayenne and Macan are little more than dolled-up Audis, which are in turn little more than dolled-up Volkswagens. It appears they've managed to fend away the VW Group short-cuts and corruption for now, but I'm sceptical whether that can last. Nothing in the automotive industry parallels well with Apple, largely because the automotive industry isn't conducive to rapid evolution, short product cycles and aggressive market disruption. The best case scenario is for Apple to keep pace with Tesla's product cadence but with faster volume shipments through off-shore manufacturing. Their first product will almost inevitably be a minimum viable product comparable to the original iPhone and original iPad. Remember those products? Enough to prove the idea to an audience, but look like rough beta products 24 months later.
- unprepare 10y ago
  How many people buy a new car every 12-24 months though?
  - sjwright 10y ago
    I don't want to buy a new car every 12-24 months, but I would like to have the option to meaningfully upgrade the entertainment system every so often, even if it cost money. Imagine if the entertainment unit was actually just an iPad Mini in a nicely integrated mount. But if you wanted, you could simply swap it out for the latest model of any size. Buy a new iPad and your car now has a bigger screen. -- If Apple could disrupt the industry in any way, it would be to sell a car that thwarted obsolescence better than any that came before it. Imagine being able to buy a car today and five years from now have it fitted with the latest safety system and radar... (It's the same problem with TVs – those integrated "smart" features are mediocre from day one and become obsolete long before the display itself.)
matt4077 10y ago
Porsche has nothing in common with Apple except being expensive. The value proposition of a Porsche is not generated by clever engineering but simply raw power and valuable materials. Porsche is a high-end gaming desktop. The smart car is (or at least was, when launched) much closer: different, innovative, a bit quirky. Prediction: The Apple car will be electric, not terribly fast, probably a two-seater.