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Documents Indicate Apple Is Building a Self-Driving Car

Posted by Soulskill on from the hand-in-the-self-driving-cookie-jar dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The Guardian has obtained correspondence through a public records request that indicate Apple is seeking a facility in the San Francisco area to test a self-driving car. "In May, engineers from Apple's secretive Special Project group met with officials from GoMentum Station, a 2,100-acre former naval base near San Francisco that is being turned into a high-security testing ground for autonomous vehicles." The station is a facility left over from WWII, and its 20 miles of highways and city streets are surrounded by barbed-wire fences. Honda and Mercedes-Benz have already used it to test their self-driving car technology. "This security is bound to appeal to Apple, which has hundreds of engineers quietly working on automotive technologies in an anonymous office building in Sunnyvale, four miles from its main campus in Cupertino."

6 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Apple KITT by Bongo · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm really looking of forward to a car I can talk to.

    Mike Traceur: [awakes suddenly] Man, I was out cold.
    K.I.T.T.: Actually, Michael, you were not out cold. You were in a very heavy REM state.
    Mike Traceur: You know, you sometimes sound like Hal from 2001?
    K.I.T.T.: I find that movie extremely confusing.
    Mike Traceur: You know what confuses me?
    K.I.T.T.: There are not enough hours in the day to list all the things that confuse you.
    Mike Traceur: Oh, snap.
    K.I.T.T.: Yes, Michael. Snap.

  2. Re:Will it always drive to the nearest Apple store by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yes. And they'll look fabulous doing it.

  3. apple? by bigmo · · Score: 2, Funny

    It will cost 3 million dollars and no one over 40 will be able to figure out how to open the door.

    1. Re:apple? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      The door only responds to smugness.

    2. Re:apple? by MrDoh! · · Score: 4, Funny

      And after the first dozen accidents, Apple will trot out experts who claim that the 'drivers' were 'sitting in it wrong' and iCar 8 will fix the problems current drivers are having, but you'll need a new car to get the benefits. Plus, you won't be able to drive and listen to music at the same time, and if you buy the car with an AT&T plan, you'll only be able to drive 50 miles a week before you have to pay for more mileage.

      --
      Waiting for an amusing sig.
    3. Re: apple? by binarylarry · · Score: 4, Funny

      I have a friend in the r&d lab.

      Apparently, instead of a steering wheel there's just one giant button.

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!