Technology: Could This Be The iCar?

Designers speculate about what Apple's self-driving vehicle might look like as it's revealed computer giant IS working on the technology

Eye-catching, sleek, incorporating Apple's trademark sleek design, these are what the world's graphic designers believe an iCar could look like.

Refuelling rumours the tech giant's next big project is to bring a self-driving car to market, documents obtained by the Guardian say the company is searching for a location to test the autonomous vehicles to rival designs already manufactured by Google.

In May, engineers met with officials from GoMentum Station, a 2,100-acre former naval base near San Francisco, in a bid to set up a high-security site.

One designer's vision is of a semi-autonomous electric car in the minimalist tradition of Apple design, features external LED screens at the front and back with a discreet hatch and doors that open laterally

 Typically secretive, the company - who recently launched the Apple Watch - have yet to confirm or deny the rumours - but that hasn't stopped Apple fans speculating and imagining what it could look like.

In a correspondence obtained by the newspaper through a public records request, Apple engineer Frank Fearon wrote: 'We would ... like to get an understanding of timing and availability for the space, and how we would need to coordinate around other parties who would be using [it].'

This designer created a futuristic car, dubbed the Titan electric car, on Cinema 4D and added in a salt flat scene in the background

The company did not confirm whether this was the case while others involved in the deal would not shed further light on the details.
'We don't know. They haven't said what they want to test. It could be an iPhone,' joked Jack Hall, program manager for connected vehicles and autonomous vehicles at GoMentum Station, which is operated by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.

See Also: Realistic Concept iPhone 7

Focusing on Apple love of incorporating a stylish design with functionality, this concept is sleek with very little protruding from the body

The agency is promoting a portion of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station as an ideal testing facility for carmakers and tech companies working on automotive technology.

'It's got all the infrastructure of a city,' Hall said of the facility. 'There are buildings, streets and intersections, but no people.'

One designer's concept for Titan, which is what Apple's project is rumoured to be called, is 'futuristic, but still doable by 2010,' he said

The 5,000-acre site has 20 miles of paved roads, including overpasses, tunnels and railroad crossings, according to the agency's website, which calls it 'the largest secure test facility in the world.' Another 7,600 acres of the former navy base is now used as a shipping terminal by the U.S. Army.
GoMentum Station already has an agreement with Honda, which plans to test automated vehicle systems there.

Hall said his agency hopes to partner with other companies for testing self-driving cars and 'connected vehicles' — cars that use the Internet and local networks to exchange a variety of information with other devices and vehicles.

This innovative designer says the driver can just slide their key over the Apple logo and the front glass panel of the three-seater car will open up for entry

Apple has 'shown interest' in the facility but has not reached any agreement for testing there, Hall said. Company representatives have not actually visited yet, he said.

The Guardian also quoted another official at the transportation authority who said Apple insisted on a non-disclosure agreement which barred him from saying any more.
A number of automakers and tech companies, including Google, are working on new designs for autonomous and electric-powered vehicles.

This creative designer embellished his curved iCar concept with Apple logos on the front and on all the car seats

In February, The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed sources who said Apple is working on designs for an electric vehicle to be sold under the Apple brand. Analysts say Apple has the financial wherewithal and ambition to pursue such a project, although some believe it's more likely interested in developing software for use in cars made by other companies.

This graphic designer thinks the iCar could be a sports utility vehicle, which he designed in red using aluminium for the front

Other evidence of Apple's interest in cars has surfaced in recent months, including a lawsuit in which a Massachusetts startup working on electric car batteries accused Apple of poaching some of its engineers. The lawsuit has since been settled.