What happens when an iPhone and Beetle come together?
Wolfsburg and Cupertino have come together to create a Beetle that takes the term "iPhone integration" to a whole new level.
The Volkswagen Beetle has been the most important automotive accessory for many years now. Since the original bug, owners have wanted their Beetle to be an extension of their personality rather than a mundane mass-produced eco-box. VW has not forgotten this as it has teamed up with Cupertino’s electronics giant, Apple Inc. to produce the iBeetle.
The idea of fully integrating the iPhone with the Beetle was conceptualised with the release of the iPhone 5. How different is it from the standard Beetle? For starters, there is a docking station for the iPhone on the centre of the Beetle’s dashboard. Once docked, the iPhone can be used to navigate, make hands-free calls, listen to music and so on.
Through the use of VW’s homegrown app, the iPhone/Beetle integration provides the driver with an array of useful functions.
- Spotify
- Expert
- Trainer
- Reader
- Postcard
- Photo
- Post
- Milestones
“Spotify”, allows the user to stream media such as MP3s and online radio stations from the iPhone to the Beetle’s built in sound system. The "Expert" function is more for gearheads as it offers useful measurement information. They include a G-meter for measuring transverse acceleration, oil and coolant temperature, chronometer and a compass.
The “Trainer” function allows the driver to compare driving times, distances and fuel economy figures for different routes to a destination. Users can also post tips using social network services such as Twitter and Facebook to indicate which route will get you to a given destination the quickest. “Reader” lists the latest messages from social networks such as Facebook.
“Postcard” enables the driver to send his or her current location as a digital postcard with a map motif. Using “Post”, an interior picture of the Beetle can be taken using the iPhone camera and then sent to social network services. Last but not least when in “undocked” mode the “Milestones” menu is available. The app rewards its users with virtual “milestone stickers” for the Beetle when certain tasks have been completed.
Volkswagen says that the iBeetle will be made available at the beginning of 2014 though advance sales begin in October 2013. The iBeetle comes with 18-inch “Disc” alloy wheels painted in “Galvano Grey” with chrome wheel covers, door mirror housings and side trim panels, black door sill plates with the “iBeetle” signature, “iBeetle” chrome badges and a “Chrome Pack” which includes chrome trim strips on the sides.
As with any new Beetle, the car comes in a number of colours, which include Candy White, Oryx White Mother of Pearl Effect, Black Monochrome, Deep Black Pearl Effect, Platinum Grey and Reflex Silver. There is no word whether any performance tweaks were made to the iBeetle, but since the iPhone integration is the main point of the car, performance wasn’t at the top of the list of requirements.