Fahad X 6/7/26 Fahad X 6/7/26

Agentic Siri will be great for Apple CarPlay, but could signal the end for CarPlay Ultra.

If the Gemini-powered version of Siri is as good as we all hope it is, it will be a great win for CarPlay. Most CarPlay owners would love a proper Siri that can listen to its commands for multimedia, maps, messages, etc. There’s nothing better than asking Siri to navigate to the closest grocery store in order to get some emergency diapers, snacks, etc. without having to touch your phone and take your eyes off the road. Another great benefit would be to talk to a Siri chatbot if you’re driving alone and need someone to help you stay awake.

Of course there would be many more features, and they should be done reliably.

CarPlay Ultra on the other hand is designed to give the user more control over the car’s core functions such as HVAC settings, seat settings, and even Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) such as cameras, radar, and sensors through a car projection system on your iPhone. It’s a custom layout that allows you to choose from several custom “skins” that the manufacturer has worked with Apple to design. This is on top of the default layout the car manufacturer already has built-in, so essentially you would have to learn two different UI systems and build two muscle memory systems…for operating your car.

Needless to say, that kind of control is risky and glitches in that department could lead to severe consequences, including death. No manufacturer is comfortable with handing this kind of control over to Apple except Aston Martin, and that could just be because Aston is desperate to sell anything at this point.

Many car makers, including Rivian, are going towards an Agentic approach with their car controls, where the driver can simply ask the car to change settings without having to worry about their phone’s connectivity status since it’s all built-in and seamless. CarPlay Ultra on the other hand is not as seamless as the rest of Apple’s ecosystem.

Let’s not forget - most car manufacturers who said they would support CarPlay Ultra probably had to cancel those plans without officially confirming anything since they’re reconsidering their EV car lineup. Now that EV tax incentives are gone, manufacturers have pivoted back to ICE vehicles once again, and in a big way. Forget batteries, give us the big ole’ V8 trucks cause this is ‘Murica! We don’t care about increasing gas prices either!

Even if EVs were still a popular trend that kept on going, the rise of agentic AI and more advanced models coming out every time you take a sip of that mocha Grande macchiato latte means car manufacturers can provide a better experience without needing a 3rd party user interface taking over. It just doesn’t make sense for newer more advanced vehicles to rely on a tethered phone to get the best features.

Older cars with CarPlay however can retroactively get more advanced AI features that are reliable in their limited multimedia capacity.

CarPlay Ultra is going to be no more, but CarPlay still lives on.

Of course there would be many more features, and they should be done reliably.

Older cars with CarPlay however can retroactively get more advanced AI features that are reliable in their limited multimedia capacity.

CarPlay Ultra is going to be no more, but CarPlay still lives on.

Fahad X 5/26/26 Fahad X 5/26/26

The windshield wipers of the Ferrari Luce are vertical in their resting position.

The Drive:

This might be the least weird thing about the Luce, in fairness, given its narrow and tall stature for a Ferrari, that big mail slot in the front, and its supersized Apple Watch infotainment screen. But it is still strange to see a production car that keeps its wipers upright, perched right up against the A-pillars, when not in use.
They sweep towards and then away from each other, of course, rather than in the same direction. And the reason Ferrari had no choice but to leave them there is because the Luce’s cowl is so low, with an almost seamless pool of glossy black stretching from the leading edge of the windshield and through the top of the body, that there isn’t a gutter for the blades to hide in.
This makes the wipers strangely prominent aspects of the sedan’s design, which almost seems at odds with the exterior’s smooth, pebbly form, and objective of an ultra-low drag coefficient. If you’re familiar with the work of Jony Ive, though—the industrial designer that made a name for himself at Apple architecting a range of segment-defining products, who is also partly responsible for the Luce—then it kind of makes sense. This is the guy that brought the “notch” to the iPhone, at a time when every other company making phones was fighting physics to make selfie cameras invisible. He chose to draw attention to a technical difference, rather than cover for it. The same is arguably true here.

You can see a video linked here.

A unique design quirk, but will it become the next “butterfly keyboard” incident? Only time will tell.

For more interior quirks that resemble Jony Ive’s time at Apple, check out this earlier piece I wrote.

The Drive:

This might be the least weird thing about the Luce, in fairness, given its narrow and tall stature for a Ferrari, that big mail slot in the front, and its supersized Apple Watch infotainment screen. But it is still strange to see a production car that keeps its wipers upright, perched right up against the A-pillars, when not in use.
They sweep towards and then away from each other, of course, rather than in the same direction. And the reason Ferrari had no choice but to leave them there is because the Luce’s cowl is so low, with an almost seamless pool of glossy black stretching from the leading edge of the windshield and through the top of the body, that there isn’t a gutter for the blades to hide in.
This makes the wipers strangely prominent aspects of the sedan’s design, which almost seems at odds with the exterior’s smooth, pebbly form, and objective of an ultra-low drag coefficient. If you’re familiar with the work of Jony Ive, though—the industrial designer that made a name for himself at Apple architecting a range of segment-defining products, who is also partly responsible for the Luce—then it kind of makes sense. This is the guy that brought the “notch” to the iPhone, at a time when every other company making phones was fighting physics to make selfie cameras invisible. He chose to draw attention to a technical difference, rather than cover for it. The same is arguably true here.

This is how the windshield wipers work on the new $640,000 all-electric Ferrari Luce. https://t.co/2f6nK6oA7f pic.twitter.com/jNNqLWDCJE
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) May 25, 2026

A unique design quirk, but will it become the next “butterfly keyboard” incident? Only time will tell.

For more interior quirks that resemble Jony Ive’s time at Apple, check out this earlier piece I wrote.

Fahad X 5/25/26 Fahad X 5/25/26

Ferrari debuts its first fully electric vehicle, the Ferrari Luce, designed by LoveFrom.

Definitely looks the EV part, and a lot better than what the original spy photos made you think it would be. If you’re going to go all in on the EV thing, go all in on the EV thing, and Ferrari certainly did.

Jony Ive was nervous how people would react to this new historical moment for Ferrari, and I think people will be pleased with the looks.

Fahad X 3/26/26 Fahad X 3/26/26

When one MagSafe car mount is not enough.

We needed 3 different MagSafe mounts. Technically we could get by with 2, but the 3rd one on top was necessary for entertainment purposes so the kids in the 3rd row could still watch YouTube. It’s the opposite of being addicted to YouTube, but also not quite torture since you can still make out the contents if you squint hard enough. You have to get the dopamine dose just right. 📓

I have a dual MagSafe setup in my car, but for my wife’s car, the one that gets significant highway miles and travels to the pothole capital of the world (New York City), we needed something more than just a simple MagSafe setup:

The one on top is my new favorite accessory by LISEN that so far has been promising. It has a motor that makes the suction really tight, and will self-activate if it notices the suction getting weaker, giving you peace of mind. We didn’t have any falls or loss of suction over an 8 hour driving period. It also allows for a landscape orientation whereas the bottom two are too tight together to allow for landscape.

On the bottom right we have a standard Apple MagSafe puck hooked into a CD slot holder, primarily used for charging of course. The bottom left is a Moment MagSafe Wall Mount that I permanently attached to the archaic infotainment display. Blocking the display wasn’t an issue since we always keep it on the bluetooth player setting. The Moment mount is my go to for navigation and when driving on bumpier roads since it has really strong magnets. Plenty an iPhone hath fallen when placed on the MagSafe charger, and I just don’t need that in my life anymore. The magnets on the LISEN are similar to the Moment mount and can withstand even the worst potholes. All three mounts have a purpose, and strategic placement throughout long journeys between charging and bad road conditions means I don’t have to think about my phone falling and can concentrate on driving.

All audio is routed via Bluetooth, making this hot mess actually very seamless and manageable.

Fahad X 2/22/26 Fahad X 2/22/26

Jony Ive is anxious to reveal the exterior of the Ferrari Luce, but should Ferrari fans be worried?

The spy photos of the Ferrari Luce’s exterior look absolutely hideous, the worst manifestation of a sporty hearse that you could imagine. It looks like an absolute disaster of a vehicle, but spy photos are meant to completely disguise the shape of the vehicle, so it’s anyone’s guess how radical it will look.

Jony’s vibe seems optimistic even though there are mixed signals (from Carscoops):

It’s not concern over the design itself that sparks that feeling, but instead the gravity of just how big this moment is for Ferrari. He called it “still clearly a Ferrari,” but went on to say that “It’s a different manifestation based on some of the beliefs around simplicity and the inherent beauty of something.” […]
Ive has also stressed that there is “no disconnection” between the exterior and interior, noting that both were designed simultaneously rather than by separate departments. In his view, that approach results in a complete package that feels cohesive rather than pieced together.

Still clearly a Ferrari, but also a different manifestation based on simplicity and beauty, and no disconnection between the exterior and interior. Mixed signals that manifest in anxiety if you ask me.

The full exterior reveal will be in May, but in the meantime, check out some interior design features that Apple fans would appreciate.

Jony’s vibe seems optimistic even though there are mixed signals (from Carscoops):

It’s not concern over the design itself that sparks that feeling, but instead the gravity of just how big this moment is for Ferrari. He called it “still clearly a Ferrari,” but went on to say that “It’s a different manifestation based on some of the beliefs around simplicity and the inherent beauty of something.” […]
Ive has also stressed that there is “no disconnection” between the exterior and interior, noting that both were designed simultaneously rather than by separate departments. In his view, that approach results in a complete package that feels cohesive rather than pieced together.

The full exterior reveal will be in May, but in the meantime, check out some interior design features that Apple fans would appreciate.

Fahad X 2/21/26 Fahad X 2/21/26

Nissan to be the first to introduce Qi2 wireless charging in their vehicles.

Yours truly just a couple of months ago:

One of the top worst modern car features is undoubtedly not so modern.
The ancient universal Qi wireless charging standard.
Automakers need to either get rid of it completely, or give us Qi2 with the Magnetic Power Profile (MagSafe), preferably in some sort of modular form that allows you to dock your phone similar to the Xiaomi SU7.

Looks like Nissan stepped up to the batter’s plate and is the first to introduce Qi2 magnetic wireless charging. Magnetically aligned wireless charging is a huge improvement both for efficiency and heat management, especially in a moving vehicle where a single pothole can throw your phone off the charging mat. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination thinking you have a topped up phone, only to see a low battery warning instead.

An absolute no-brainer, but it would be even better if it was vertically docked.

Yours truly just a couple of months ago:

One of the top worst modern car features is undoubtedly not so modern.
The ancient universal Qi wireless charging standard.
Automakers need to either get rid of it completely, or give us Qi2 with the Magnetic Power Profile (MagSafe), preferably in some sort of modular form that allows you to dock your phone similar to the Xiaomi SU7.

An absolute no-brainer, but it would be even better if it was vertically docked.

Fahad X 2/14/26 Fahad X 2/14/26

Four features from the Ferrari Luce that scream Apple Design.

Jony Ive's LoveFrom Design Studio was hired by Ferrari to work on the internal design of Ferrari's new all-electric Ferrari Luce, and there are some unmistakable Apple-like design features that are hidden throughout the design. 📓

1. The Rounded Rectangle

The Rounded Rectangle has received proper noun status, being the symbol for the current day iPhone that started it all, and has trickled down from iPhone, to iPad, to Apple Watch. The most obvious place you notice the Rounded Rectangle is in the center control panel.

*The angular pose is also similar to many iPhone reveals in the past.*

*It looks like an iPad and an Apple Watch Ultra gave birth to this design. Looks like a Mac Pro handle is supporting it all?*

2. The Ferrari Key

All exotic cars have special key fobs, and this Ferrari is no exception. Apple fans will appreciate the lock and unlock logo that are very similar to Apple's privacy lock. Most standard cars' "unlock" button is kinked open, but Apple's open lock has always been turned outwards, mimicked in the Ferrari Luce.

*The key's side profile even has antenna lines like an iPhone.*

3. Air Conditioning vents

This is the most obvious design similarity - they are literal copies of Apple's MagSafe charging pucks. Copying might be a harsh word since many of Jony Ive's team might have been the ones who designed the MagSafe charger to begin with. The MagSafe AC vent does look good.

*Four vents in the front - get a little closer and...*

4. Steering wheel colors

Most Ferraris let you choose the steering wheel leather color, but on the Luce, you can choose the color of the "aluminium" steering wheel. The colors themselves mimic Apple's Silver, Starlight, and Space Gray options.

Fahad X 2/10/26 Fahad X 2/10/26

Jony Ive and his team from LoveFrom design the interior of the all-electric Ferrari Luce.

Probably the best writeup about the Ferrari Luce for Apple fans by Jordan Golson (reported by MacRumors).

Some notable quotes from Golson’s interview with Ive:

Then carmakers looked at a product that sold billions of units and said, we should put one of those in the dashboard. But they took the wrong lesson. Your car isn’t supposed to do everything. It’s supposed to be a car. You need to adjust the temperature, change the volume, turn on the heated seats and keep your eyes on the road. These are not problems that require a general-purpose interface. They are problems that have been solved for more than a century — by knobs and buttons and switches — and the industry unresolved them in a decade.
Ive knows this. “The reason we developed touch — the big idea was to develop a general-purpose interface that could be a calculator, that could be a typewriter, could be a camera, rather than having physical buttons,” he told me. “To use touch in a car is something I would never dream of doing, because it requires that you look at what you’re doing.”
He paused. “Touch was seen as almost like fashion. It was the most current technology. ‘We need a bit of touch.’ And, ‘You know what we’re going to do next year? We’re going to have an even bigger one.’ That’s just the wrong technology to be the primary interface.”
So the man who inadvertently ruined car interiors is back to fix them. And on a Ferrari, no less — the new Luce. […]
When Ive walked us through the interior, he started with the organizational logic. “This is driving,” he said, gesturing at the steering wheel and binnacle. “Every other element augments the driving experience, but the focus of the steering wheel and this binnacle is very clearly about driving.” Then the rules: “This is output. This is input. Because these controls are mechanical.”
That clarity of organization sounds obvious. It isn’t. Walk up to any modern luxury car and try to figure out, from a standing start, how to adjust the climate. You’ll be three menus deep in a touchscreen within seconds, and you still might not have found it. In the Luce, Ive said, “When you look at this, you’re not wondering — how many layers deep am I going to have to go to find something to make my bottom warm?”
I asked whether there was ever a discussion about making the physical controls flexible — a button that could be a heated seat toggle or a drive mode selector, depending on context. Ive’s answer was instant and direct: “And you would have hated that.”

Probably the best writeup about the Ferrari Luce for Apple fans by Jordan Golson (reported by MacRumors).

Some notable quotes from Golson’s interview with Ive:

Then carmakers looked at a product that sold billions of units and said, we should put one of those in the dashboard. But they took the wrong lesson. Your car isn’t supposed to do everything. It’s supposed to be a car. You need to adjust the temperature, change the volume, turn on the heated seats and keep your eyes on the road. These are not problems that require a general-purpose interface. They are problems that have been solved for more than a century — by knobs and buttons and switches — and the industry unresolved them in a decade.
Ive knows this. “The reason we developed touch — the big idea was to develop a general-purpose interface that could be a calculator, that could be a typewriter, could be a camera, rather than having physical buttons,” he told me. “To use touch in a car is something I would never dream of doing, because it requires that you look at what you’re doing.”
He paused. “Touch was seen as almost like fashion. It was the most current technology. ‘We need a bit of touch.’ And, ‘You know what we’re going to do next year? We’re going to have an even bigger one.’ That’s just the wrong technology to be the primary interface.”
So the man who inadvertently ruined car interiors is back to fix them. And on a Ferrari, no less — the new Luce. […]
When Ive walked us through the interior, he started with the organizational logic. “This is driving,” he said, gesturing at the steering wheel and binnacle. “Every other element augments the driving experience, but the focus of the steering wheel and this binnacle is very clearly about driving.” Then the rules: “This is output. This is input. Because these controls are mechanical.”
That clarity of organization sounds obvious. It isn’t. Walk up to any modern luxury car and try to figure out, from a standing start, how to adjust the climate. You’ll be three menus deep in a touchscreen within seconds, and you still might not have found it. In the Luce, Ive said, “When you look at this, you’re not wondering — how many layers deep am I going to have to go to find something to make my bottom warm?”
I asked whether there was ever a discussion about making the physical controls flexible — a button that could be a heated seat toggle or a drive mode selector, depending on context. Ive’s answer was instant and direct: “And you would have hated that.”

Fahad X 1/28/26 Fahad X 1/28/26

I would be embarrassed to put my kids in the backseat of the new Honda Prelude.

The new Honda Prelude is a luxury coupe, but with weird back seats that feel like an unfinished car. With high quality leather front seats and overly simple cloth backseats, the class differentiation is quite obvious. Let’s not forget about the barely safe, rear-seat headrests that probably won’t prevent whiplash. Granted, my 2000 Celica GTS also doesn’t have extended headrests, but that car is 26 years old and was 8 years before the “whiplash mandate.” The extended headrests are not a requirement for rear seats, but most automakers do it anyway to be consistent and increase safety.

Even worse - if you opt for the white leather seats, you really are placing solid boundaries between front and rear passengers, giving rear occupants an, “I am less than” vibe not just due to the different material, but because the rear seats are black cloth even if you pick the white leather seat option. This clip shows all.

Once again, the 26 year-old GTS has matching leather rear seats like the front and a cupholder for each rear passenger.

How many rear cupholders does the Prelude have? Zero.

Once again, the 26 year-old GTS has matching leather rear seats like the front and a cupholder for each rear passenger.

How many rear cupholders does the Prelude have? Zero.

Fahad X 1/15/26 Fahad X 1/15/26

Honda’s futuristic new logo will be for all future vehicles and not just EVs and hybrids.

Car and Driver:

While this isn't our first time seeing Honda's new emblem, it's the first time we're hearing that it will appear on all future models, not just the electric ones. Today, the automaker's European media team announced that the new "H mark" will gradually expand across its automobile lineup, starting in 2027 with its EVs and major hybrid models. Honda also said that the new logo will appear in other parts of its vast business, from dealerships to motorsports and more.

Looks like a futuristic logo since it was originally for EV and hybrid vehicles, but it really is a throwback to their original logo (via creative bloq).

It was an obvious move to make their logo uniform everywhere, especially now that most automakers are backpedaling on EV adoption.

Car and Driver:

While this isn't our first time seeing Honda's new emblem, it's the first time we're hearing that it will appear on all future models, not just the electric ones. Today, the automaker's European media team announced that the new "H mark" will gradually expand across its automobile lineup, starting in 2027 with its EVs and major hybrid models. Honda also said that the new logo will appear in other parts of its vast business, from dealerships to motorsports and more.

Looks like a futuristic logo since it was originally for EV and hybrid vehicles, but it really is a throwback to their original logo (via creative bloq).

It was an obvious move to make their logo uniform everywhere, especially now that most automakers are backpedaling on EV adoption.

Fahad X 1/7/26 Fahad X 1/7/26

Bittersweet, gas guzzling, HEMI powered V-8 Ram SRT TRX announced just two days before Nicolás Maduro was captured.

I’m sure Stellantis wasn’t in on the plot to capture Nicolás Maduro, but announcing the return of their newest monster on New Years day, two days prior to Maduro’s capture, is just bad timing. Or is it good timing?

With impactful performance updates, the 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX cements itself as the fastest and most powerful, production, gas pick-up truck in the world, once again setting the record for the half-ton segment. TRX put the industry on notice when it debuted in 2021, and after a brief hibernation, it reclaims its spot at the top of the food chain.

I read both headlines on the same day, and it’s hard not to make a connection even though there is no connection.

With impactful performance updates, the 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX cements itself as the fastest and most powerful, production, gas pick-up truck in the world, once again setting the record for the half-ton segment. TRX put the industry on notice when it debuted in 2021, and after a brief hibernation, it reclaims its spot at the top of the food chain.

I read both headlines on the same day, and it’s hard not to make a connection even though there is no connection.

Fahad X 12/30/25 Fahad X 12/30/25

Throttle House addresses the bane of in-car wireless chargers.

One of the top worst modern car features is undoubtedly not so modern.

The ancient universal Qi wireless charging standard.

Automakers need to either get rid of it completely, or give us Qi2 with the Magnetic Power Profile (MagSafe), preferably in some sort of modular form that allows you to dock your phone similar to the Xiaomi SU7.

One of the top worst modern car features is undoubtedly not so modern.

The ancient universal Qi wireless charging standard.

Fahad X 12/4/25 Fahad X 12/4/25

Porsche makes a 3.5-inch display that features Apple CarPlay.

Doug finally got his Arena Red Porsche 993 Turbo, and what’s even cooler than that is his biggest quirk and feature - a 3.5-inch Porsche-made, Apple CarPlay head unit with a touchscreen. It’s made to look period-correct for the vehicle, and a perfect solution to buying a classic car that needs a technology upgrade.

It’s not wireless CarPlay, but you can’t complain when it looks this good in a 29 year-old car.

Fahad X 11/21/25 Fahad X 11/21/25

Car makers going all in on touchscreens is a bad idea.

Kirk Kreifels does a mini rant/analysis why touchscreens and physical controls need to coexist in cars, and why voice assistants and touchscreens shouldn’t replace physical buttons.

Either way you fall on this spectrum, it’s getting to the point where the safety features in cars are almost a self-fulfilling prophecy:

Make the cars safer with more sensors and cameras, because of more distractions while driving, caused by poor driver controls.

Kirk Kreifels does a mini rant/analysis why touchscreens and physical controls need to coexist in cars, and why voice assistants and touchscreens shouldn’t replace physical buttons.

Either way you fall on this spectrum, it’s getting to the point where the safety features in cars are almost a self-fulfilling prophecy:

Make the cars safer with more sensors and cameras, because of more distractions while driving, caused by poor driver controls.

Fahad X 11/13/25 Fahad X 11/13/25

Tesla to support CarPlay in future software update.

Mark Gurman from Bloomberg:

Tesla Inc. is developing support for Apple Inc.’s CarPlay system in its vehicles, according to people with knowledge of the matter, working to add one of the most highly requested features by customers.
The carmaker has started testing the capability internally, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort is still private. The CarPlay platform — long supported by other automakers — shows users a version of the iPhone’s software that’s optimized for vehicle infotainment systems. It’s considered a must-have option by many drivers.

It will be the standard version of CarPlay with wireless support, not CarPlay Ultra. How will CarPlay integrate with Tesla’s infotainment system? The article continues:

Tesla plans to feature CarPlay within a window inside its broader interface, the people said. That means the Apple software won’t fully replace the Tesla operating system as it does in many other vehicles.
CarPlay also won’t tap into Tesla features like FSD, or full self-driving mode. Drivers will need to rely on Tesla’s own navigation app for that.

It would be interesting to see how this, “window inside its broader interface” pans out. I spent a decent amount of time in the latest Model Y in a buddy’s car that had all of the self-driving features, and it would be weird to have two maps side-by-side in certain situations (one for self-driving and one with Apple Maps). You can bet your bottom dollar that other car manufacturers are going to watch this integration closely, as Tesla pioneered big-screen integration and a software oriented car UI before anyone else.

This is obviously great news for Apple customers and a strategic, aka desperate move from Tesla to get those sales going since the end of the EV tax credit. It’s not their only move on the chessboard, with a rental program that starts at $60/day:

The rental duration is a minimum of three and a maximum of seven days, starting at $60 per day and increasing depending on the model.
Tesla appears to be using this to show potential buyers how convenient it is to own a Tesla vehicle, since it also includes Supercharging and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for free with every rental.
If a rental customer decides to order a vehicle within a week of having rented one, Tesla gives them a $250 credit toward the purchase.

Mark Gurman from Bloomberg:

Tesla Inc. is developing support for Apple Inc.’s CarPlay system in its vehicles, according to people with knowledge of the matter, working to add one of the most highly requested features by customers.
The carmaker has started testing the capability internally, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort is still private. The CarPlay platform — long supported by other automakers — shows users a version of the iPhone’s software that’s optimized for vehicle infotainment systems. It’s considered a must-have option by many drivers.

It will be the standard version of CarPlay with wireless support, not CarPlay Ultra. How will CarPlay integrate with Tesla’s infotainment system? The article continues:

Tesla plans to feature CarPlay within a window inside its broader interface, the people said. That means the Apple software won’t fully replace the Tesla operating system as it does in many other vehicles.
CarPlay also won’t tap into Tesla features like FSD, or full self-driving mode. Drivers will need to rely on Tesla’s own navigation app for that.

The rental duration is a minimum of three and a maximum of seven days, starting at $60 per day and increasing depending on the model.
Tesla appears to be using this to show potential buyers how convenient it is to own a Tesla vehicle, since it also includes Supercharging and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for free with every rental.
If a rental customer decides to order a vehicle within a week of having rented one, Tesla gives them a $250 credit toward the purchase.

Fahad X 11/5/25 Fahad X 11/5/25

Is Apple opening up the walled garden for car manufacturers?

Patrick George from The Atlantic:

Among all of Apple’s achievements, one of the most underrated has been making driving less miserable. Before Apple CarPlay debuted, about a decade ago, drivers were stuck with whatever clunky tech features were preloaded into their car. By projecting a simplified iPhone layout onto the car’s central screen, CarPlay lets you use apps such as Apple Maps and Spotify without fumbling for your phone, make hands-free calls, and dictate text messages. It is seamless, free, and loved by millions of iPhone owners.
Now one of the world’s biggest car companies is taking it away. Last month, General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced that new cars made by the auto giant won’t support CarPlay and its counterpart, Android Auto. Ditching smartphone mirroring may seem to make as much sense as removing cup holders: Recent preliminary data from AutoPacific, a research firm, suggest that CarPlay and Android Auto are considered must-have features among many new-car shoppers. But according to GM, the company can create an even better experience for drivers by dropping Apple and making its own software. And like it or not, the move says a lot about where the auto industry is headed.

I think GM knows things we don’t know and just can’t say it in public. According to Mary Barra in a recent Decoder interview with Nilay Patel, GM has a great relationship with Apple at the most senior level:

I would say we have a good relationship with Apple. I mean at the most senior level with Apple, with Google, with all of the tech companies. We’re bringing Apple Wallet. We’ll be announcing that shortly, that we’ll have that and have the ability to do some of the vehicle functions through that. So we’re having continual conversations with Apple, and I would say we’re talking about the opportunity and looking for win-wins. We also have a very good relationship with Google and we don’t enable Android Auto either. So I would say you’re talking about a moment in time versus where the industry is heading from Dolby Atmos and the relationship that we have with Apple. I wouldn’t make some of the broad-based assumptions you’re making.

When Nilay asked about getting the Apple Music app on his Cadillac, Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson responds:

We don’t have anything to share on that right now.

There’s obviously a lot of “hush, hush” discussions in the background between car manufacturers and the tech giants, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple decides to change the CarPlay model altogether and make it more compatible with Android Automotive.

Apple Maps has been unleashed from the walled garden allowing Android users to use it, and with their recent update to the App Store web interface, Apple is giving us teasers that maybe, just maybe, they might make their ecosystem more open to say, car manufacturers?

There’s still a few years left before GM tapers off CarPlay for their gas-engine vehicles, but I’m sure there’s a solution in the works that will satisfy Apple, car manufacturers, and consumers.

There has to be.

Patrick George from The Atlantic:

Among all of Apple’s achievements, one of the most underrated has been making driving less miserable. Before Apple CarPlay debuted, about a decade ago, drivers were stuck with whatever clunky tech features were preloaded into their car. By projecting a simplified iPhone layout onto the car’s central screen, CarPlay lets you use apps such as Apple Maps and Spotify without fumbling for your phone, make hands-free calls, and dictate text messages. It is seamless, free, and loved by millions of iPhone owners.
Now one of the world’s biggest car companies is taking it away. Last month, General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced that new cars made by the auto giant won’t support CarPlay and its counterpart, Android Auto. Ditching smartphone mirroring may seem to make as much sense as removing cup holders: Recent preliminary data from AutoPacific, a research firm, suggest that CarPlay and Android Auto are considered must-have features among many new-car shoppers. But according to GM, the company can create an even better experience for drivers by dropping Apple and making its own software. And like it or not, the move says a lot about where the auto industry is headed.

I would say we have a good relationship with Apple. I mean at the most senior level with Apple, with Google, with all of the tech companies. We’re bringing Apple Wallet. We’ll be announcing that shortly, that we’ll have that and have the ability to do some of the vehicle functions through that. So we’re having continual conversations with Apple, and I would say we’re talking about the opportunity and looking for win-wins. We also have a very good relationship with Google and we don’t enable Android Auto either. So I would say you’re talking about a moment in time versus where the industry is heading from Dolby Atmos and the relationship that we have with Apple. I wouldn’t make some of the broad-based assumptions you’re making.

When Nilay asked about getting the Apple Music app on his Cadillac, Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson responds:

We don’t have anything to share on that right now.

There has to be.

Fahad X 10/2/25 Fahad X 10/2/25

Mercedes-Benz is the latest to backtrack on touchscreens and focus more on physical controls in their vehicles.

Jesus Diaz from Fast Company (News+ link):

For years, Mercedes-Benz has relied on touchscreens as the command center of its vehicles. Is it too hot? Tap the screen to set the AC temperature. Want to listen to the news? Tap. Defrost the rear window? Tap, tap, tap. While the automaker has retained some physical controls in its cars, its modern user experience is effectively built around the screen.
But that’s about to change.
Magnus Östberg, chief software officer for Mercedes-Benz, recently announced that the company would be centering future car design around physical controls instead of screens. “The data shows us physical buttons are better,” Östberg told Autocar at the Munich motor show. He says Mercedes will begin integrating more physical controls into its digitally focused cabins starting in 2026.
Mercedes’ announcement is part of a bigger industry trend…
with carmakers like Hyundai leading the charge to bring back knobs and buttons to its cars. Earlier this year, fellow German automaker Volkswagen, also announced plans to fix its touchscreen problem, saying that it was “taking a step back to move forward.”
After more than a decade of car screens growing bigger and brighter, the auto industry finally seems to be acknowledging what drivers (and science!) has known all along: physical buttons are safer and more pleasant to use.

I hear the sound of nails hammering a coffin shut. What’s inside you ask?

CarPlay Ultra.

Jesus Diaz from Fast Company (News+ link):

For years, Mercedes-Benz has relied on touchscreens as the command center of its vehicles. Is it too hot? Tap the screen to set the AC temperature. Want to listen to the news? Tap. Defrost the rear window? Tap, tap, tap. While the automaker has retained some physical controls in its cars, its modern user experience is effectively built around the screen.
But that’s about to change.
Magnus Östberg, chief software officer for Mercedes-Benz, recently announced that the company would be centering future car design around physical controls instead of screens. “The data shows us physical buttons are better,” Östberg told Autocar at the Munich motor show. He says Mercedes will begin integrating more physical controls into its digitally focused cabins starting in 2026.
Mercedes’ announcement is part of a bigger industry trend…
with carmakers like Hyundai leading the charge to bring back knobs and buttons to its cars. Earlier this year, fellow German automaker Volkswagen, also announced plans to fix its touchscreen problem, saying that it was “taking a step back to move forward.”
After more than a decade of car screens growing bigger and brighter, the auto industry finally seems to be acknowledging what drivers (and science!) has known all along: physical buttons are safer and more pleasant to use.

I hear the sound of nails hammering a coffin shut. What’s inside you ask?

CarPlay Ultra.

Fahad X 9/30/25 Fahad X 9/30/25

Ford says no to CarPlay Ultra.

Via the Decoder Podcast (article by MacRumors):

On the latest episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, released today, Ford CEO Jim Farley told guest host Joanna Stern that the automaker does not entirely like Apple's current implementation of its CarPlay Ultra software system for vehicles.
"We don't like the execution in round one of Ultra, but we're very committed to Apple," said Farley. "I've talked to [Apple CEO] Tim [Cook] many times about this."
Farley implied that Ford is currently passing on CarPlay Ultra because it would result in Apple having "control of the entire experience inside a vehicle."
In addition, he said it is important that Ford's entertainment system of choice integrates with its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
"We just believe ADAS integration with your entertainment system is so critical when you're flying down the highway with your eyes off the road, you know, in three or four years at 80 miles an hour on the I-5," he said.
When it announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra in May, Apple said the system can show information from a vehicle's advanced driver assistance systems, but it sounds like certain functions provided by Ford's systems would not be supported.

Here’s some more of the conversation between Jim Farley and Joanna Stern:

Jim: “We just believe ADAS integration with your entertainment system is so critical when you're flying down the highway with your eyes off the road, you know, in three or four years at 80 miles an hour on the I-5.
Jim: And, you know, you're watching a movie or whatever we're going to be all doing or having a Chad GPT moment or having a wearable on, you know, we just don't think that a system from tech company who's not integrated the car is going to save your life.
Joanna: But it sounds to me then that you're really forced with the reality that you've got to build your own.
Jim: Yes. Yes. But the good thing is now versus five years ago, or a couple years ago when you and I talked, Android Auto is really advancing nicely. And we've learned a lot about how to build the experience on that.

What Jim probably means is Android Automotive, which is completely different from Android Auto and what many car manufacturers use to build their own custom experiences:

Android Automotive is an operating system and platform running directly on the in-vehicle hardware. It is a full-stack, open source, highly customizable platform powering the infotainment experience. Android Automotive supports apps built for Android as well as those built for Android Auto.

CarPlay Ultra is still built on a tethered system to your phone, which just sounds archaic when compared to having a built-in system that just works every single time.

Via the Decoder Podcast (article by MacRumors):

On the latest episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, released today, Ford CEO Jim Farley told guest host Joanna Stern that the automaker does not entirely like Apple's current implementation of its CarPlay Ultra software system for vehicles.
"We don't like the execution in round one of Ultra, but we're very committed to Apple," said Farley. "I've talked to [Apple CEO] Tim [Cook] many times about this."
Farley implied that Ford is currently passing on CarPlay Ultra because it would result in Apple having "control of the entire experience inside a vehicle."
In addition, he said it is important that Ford's entertainment system of choice integrates with its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
"We just believe ADAS integration with your entertainment system is so critical when you're flying down the highway with your eyes off the road, you know, in three or four years at 80 miles an hour on the I-5," he said.
When it announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra in May, Apple said the system can show information from a vehicle's advanced driver assistance systems, but it sounds like certain functions provided by Ford's systems would not be supported.

Here’s some more of the conversation between Jim Farley and Joanna Stern:

Jim: “We just believe ADAS integration with your entertainment system is so critical when you're flying down the highway with your eyes off the road, you know, in three or four years at 80 miles an hour on the I-5.
Jim: And, you know, you're watching a movie or whatever we're going to be all doing or having a Chad GPT moment or having a wearable on, you know, we just don't think that a system from tech company who's not integrated the car is going to save your life.
Joanna: But it sounds to me then that you're really forced with the reality that you've got to build your own.
Jim: Yes. Yes. But the good thing is now versus five years ago, or a couple years ago when you and I talked, Android Auto is really advancing nicely. And we've learned a lot about how to build the experience on that.

What Jim probably means is Android Automotive, which is completely different from Android Auto and what many car manufacturers use to build their own custom experiences:

Android Automotive is an operating system and platform running directly on the in-vehicle hardware. It is a full-stack, open source, highly customizable platform powering the infotainment experience. Android Automotive supports apps built for Android as well as those built for Android Auto.

CarPlay Ultra is still built on a tethered system to your phone, which just sounds archaic when compared to having a built-in system that just works every single time.

Fahad X 7/25/25 Fahad X 7/25/25

Acura NSX office chairs up for grabs.

Put these in your office, next to your iPhone wall art.

Just beautiful.

Put these in your office, next to your iPhone wall art.

Just beautiful.

Fahad X 7/18/25 Fahad X 7/18/25

More in-depth CarPlay Ultra coverage by Ars Technica.

Finally, someone tested what would happen to the CarPlay Ultra UI when your iPhone restarts or is shut down. It’s what I expected, but a reboot still has annoying connectivity issues:

I tested Ultra with an iPhone 16 Pro, but the software requires an iPhone 12 or newer and the latest iOS 18.5 update. As a type of simple failure exercise, I turned my phone off while driving more than once. Doing so reverts both the gauge cluster and infotainment screen to Aston's native UI, the former almost instantly and the latter just a few seconds later. However, once I turned my phone back on, I struggled to reactivate either traditional CarPlay or Ultra until I forgot the device in my Bluetooth settings and started over from scratch. This held true for every attempt.

There’s more issues such as lag in the gauges…of a super car:

Call me old-fashioned, but I still enjoy seeing a tachometer, speedometer, drive modes, and fuel level versus range remaining and a digital speed—especially on an engaging performance vehicle like the DB12 Volante. Apple might be skilled at making new tech easy to use, but it's hard to beat the power of millions of minds adapting to analog gauges over the past century or so. And in this case, Ultra's tach(s) showed a bit of latency or lag while ripping that 671-hp twin-turbo V8 up through the revs, something I never noticed in the native UI.

This article claims that CarPlay Ultra is more holistic with access to more controls, but there are several instances where Michael either prefers the native Aston Martin UI or CarPlay Ultra. The gauges are laggy and the default Aston Martin ones are better, but the climate controls in CarPlay Ultra are better than the defaults. Opening the convertible top had issues, and specific audio controls required going into Aston’s control menu. It sounds like the mess that is iPadmulti-tasking.

Other things to consider:

Photos 2-6 in the first set of 12 photos showing the setup process are labelled incorrectly, and are Aston Martin’s setup terms and not Apple’s even though they’re attributed to CarPlay Ultra. I don’t think Apple is going to share your information with insurance companies.
Read the comment by UnnDunn to get more information about how CarPlay Ultra interacts with the vehicle’s in terms of safety systems.
They completely murdered Apple’s Style Guide rules by referring to CarPlay Ultra as “Ultra” the whole time, which is just confusing and sounds unprofessional.

Finally, someone tested what would happen to the CarPlay Ultra UI when your iPhone restarts or is shut down. It’s what I expected, but a reboot still has annoying connectivity issues:

I tested Ultra with an iPhone 16 Pro, but the software requires an iPhone 12 or newer and the latest iOS 18.5 update. As a type of simple failure exercise, I turned my phone off while driving more than once. Doing so reverts both the gauge cluster and infotainment screen to Aston's native UI, the former almost instantly and the latter just a few seconds later. However, once I turned my phone back on, I struggled to reactivate either traditional CarPlay or Ultra until I forgot the device in my Bluetooth settings and started over from scratch. This held true for every attempt.

There’s more issues such as lag in the gauges…of a super car:

Call me old-fashioned, but I still enjoy seeing a tachometer, speedometer, drive modes, and fuel level versus range remaining and a digital speed—especially on an engaging performance vehicle like the DB12 Volante. Apple might be skilled at making new tech easy to use, but it's hard to beat the power of millions of minds adapting to analog gauges over the past century or so. And in this case, Ultra's tach(s) showed a bit of latency or lag while ripping that 671-hp twin-turbo V8 up through the revs, something I never noticed in the native UI.

Other things to consider:

Photos 2-6 in the first set of 12 photos showing the setup process are labelled incorrectly, and are Aston Martin’s setup terms and not Apple’s even though they’re attributed to CarPlay Ultra. I don’t think Apple is going to share your information with insurance companies.
Read the comment by UnnDunn to get more information about how CarPlay Ultra interacts with the vehicle’s in terms of safety systems.
They completely murdered Apple’s Style Guide rules by referring to CarPlay Ultra as “Ultra” the whole time, which is just confusing and sounds unprofessional.