Vintage Light, Marker, Airport Runway Nsn:6210-00-959-6155 on 2040-parts.com

Apple Carplay vs Android: the smartphone hits the road

By Damion Smy Motor Industry 11 June 2014 07:18 The days of frustrating in-car interfaces and clunky touchscreens are ending, as computing giants Apple and Google start unleashing the full power of smartphone technology in your car.  Apple has fired the opening salvo in the war on wheels with its ‘CarPlay’ system launched at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show and offered by Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo, and at least 15 other car brands. If you own an iPhone, you’ll find CarPlay natural and intuitive – it’s this type of familiarity that car companies and Apple are banking on to win you over. Cars have been able to play your iTunes library and read texts for a while, but CarPlay takes this functionality to a whole new level.

Alfa MiTo 1.3 JTDM-2 – paint job by Louise Dear

Alfa Romeo Art Car by Louise Childs Alfa Romeo are pushing quite a few PR buttons with the congestion charge busting Alfa MiTo 1.3 JTDM-2 85bhp, the latest of which is the ‘Art Car’ in the photo above. Recently, we had Alfa pitting the MiTo 1.3 JTDM-2 85bhp in a race around London against an athlete. On the face of it that race was to promote UK Athletics (sponsored by Alfa Romeo) but a big part, and the reason for the ‘London’ angle, is that the latest MiTo emits just 95g/km – the perfect London car.

Bertone B99 Jaguar NOT for Jaguar. Perhaps Lamborghini will be interested?

The Bertone B99 Jaguar Concept - not for us, say Jaguar We thought we were in a minority of one when we proclaimed the Bertone B99 – Bertone’s take on a new Small Jaguar – to be the wrong direction for Jaguar. We couldn’t conceive why a struggling Italian design firm like Bertone would take a punt on designing a new Jaguar, so we assumed that Jaguar must have quietly commissioned it. Otherwise Bertone would have to be a bit barking to try and usurp Jaguar’s design team; a design team with as sure a touch as any in the industry.