Apple hires key Lamborghini exec to work on ‘Apple Car’

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Apple has hired one of Lamborghini’s top car-development managers in a sign that it’s continuing to work on its “Apple Car” electric vehicle project, Bloomberg News reports citing “people with knowledge of the situation.”

Apple hires key Lamborghini exec to work on 'Apple Car'

Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:

The company hired Luigi Taraborrelli, a 20-year veteran of the Italian carmaker, to help lead the design of Apple’s future vehicle, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter isn’t public. Taraborrelli was most recently Lamborghini’s head of chassis and vehicle dynamics.

With his experience, Taraborrelli becomes one of the most senior managers on Apple’s EV team and brings some exotic-car panache to the effort.

The executive worked on Lamborghini models such as the Urus, Huracan and Aventador, in addition to more limited models like the Huracan Sterrato off-road vehicle and Asterion concept car. He oversaw Lamborghini’s chassis development, as well as areas such as handling, suspensions, steering, brakes and rims, according to his LinkedIn profile…

The Apple project includes hundreds of former engineers from Tesla and other car companies, including Rivian Automotive Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo, Volvo Car AB and Mercedes-Benz Group AG. It also has former senior design executives on staff from Tesla, McLaren, Porsche and Aston Martin.

The company is aiming to introduce a car around 2025 with a design that lets riders face each other in a limousine-like interior, Bloomberg has reported. Apple has grand ambitions to create a car without a steering wheel or pedals, relying instead on fully autonomous technology, though many team members and industry watchers doubt such a move is possible on its current schedule.

MacDailyNews Note: Lamborghini became the first automotive brand to use augmented reality, using Apple’s AR Quick Look for iPhone and iPad in its virtual launch of a new model, the Huracán EVO RWD Spyder on May 7, 2020.

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14 Comments

    2. They are mostly a smoke and mirrors producer from my perspective, great skins lots of muscle but beneath that lovely skin is hidden increasingly dated old school mechanicals and capabilities, the antithesis of innovative and progressive in ways they once were in the last century. Very much style over substance with neither the money or talent to move into the next age of the motor car.

      Maybe that’s why he wanted to leave mind, let’s hope he was one of the talented outliers there for the exotic name and history of that company for the most part covers for the lack of modern substance lying beneath. It was always a standing joke about Lamborghini and Maserati too that the car that left the factory was always lighter by the time it hit the showrooms due to the numerous parts that had fallen off, though I’m sure that at least has improved in recent times to be fair.

      Reply

  5. Lamborghini is owned by Volkswagen. So yes, they know a thing or two about making excellent cars for people of all budgets.

    Arguably their three most exclusive divisions above Lamborghini — Bentley, Bugatti, and Rimac — make several of the finest and most dynamically capable ICE and EV hypercars today.

    It is puzzling then why a Lambo employee would take the downgrade to work for a software maker with a rudderless auto infotainment division.

    Lamborghini represents the exact opposite experience than the American BigTech vision pushes. Owning a Lambo is exclusive, expensive and demanding but intensely passionate, physically and viscerally engaging, lively and unforgettable. Touchscreen warriors are ubiquitous, cheap and disposable, lifeless and unremarkable across the board. Supposed car nut Jony Ive got paid millions to make all Apple hardware and software flat grey and lifeless while he collected Ferraris designed by, well, real designers. His Apple hardware and GUI still pale in comparison to the Snow Leopard high water mark. Is the ex-Lambo employee moving back to CA for family reasons perhaps?

    Automakers would be stupid to let SillyCon Valley software dorks take over the dashboard. Apple is the new Microsoft.

    Reply

    1. Automakers would be stupid to let SillyCon Valley software dorks take over the dashboard. Apple is the new Microsoft.

      No Apple would be stupid to drop down to Lambo/Volkswagen anemic profit margins. Apple makes more off a iPhone Pro then Volkswagen makes off a car

      Volkswagen brand itself made just $850 per car– a 2.9 percent profit margin.

      Apple profit margin is a fat 38% … why would Apple even consider making a car. Its the single dumbest idea in the history of the company. Consider the billions needed for inventory, logistic, manufacturing, recalls, service and maintenance, not to mention the PR black eye the first time someone dies in an apple car. Not to mention in 5 years Apple will have a fleet of broken down cars across all across the country tarnishing their brand image… all for what 5-10 percent profit at best.

      Steve Jobs once said the most powerful word was NO. Running a company like apple is more about what not to do as it is anything. Fact Tim isn’t known as a vision leader guy.. he has done great at sticking to Apple’s (Steve’s) script but he needs to focus on what he dose best. Apple needs to stick with computers and phones… what’s next an Apple Ice cream machine or Apple hot tub ?

      Reply

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