Volkswagen And Apple Team Up For iBeetle But It's No iCar

There have been rumors and dreams for years of an iCar -- a car made by Apple. Volkswagen's iBeetle isn't the iCar, but it might be the closest thing we're going to get. Apple has already turned up in a number of cars. BMW, Mercedes, GM, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi and Honda all use a Siri Eyes Free feature, but Volkswagen has gone a little further.

The German carmaker teamed up with Apple to design what it calls a "genuine integrative interface" for the smartphone; pairing them using the peculiarly named smartphone app Volkswagen Car Net The Beetle and a dedicated docking station located on the car's dash. The phone snaps in and then integrates with the car's navigation and audio systems. It can power the GPS dash and the car's stereo. The phone can also connect with the car wirelessly.

The docking station is designed to allow the iPhone to snap into the cradle, which will then provide owners with the ability to make use of the specially designed app. The app itself lets you view information about the car, including oil and coolant temperatures and a compass. The Trainer section allows you to compare driving times and distances.

And then there are some more fun yet distracting features. Reader lists messages from Facebook and reads them out loud, and Photo sends photos taken in the car to friends. The app includes Spotify and iTunes integration so drivers can listen to their friends' favorite music. You can obviously make calls with the phone, too which integrates with the car's audio system and microphone.

Volkswagen also says the car has been designed to match Apple's smartphones. It will be available in different shades of gray, white and black. For those who plan to start saving for the iCar, there's no word on pricing yet.

The functionality will be available in both the iBeetle and iBeetle convertible.

The new iCar will be available for advance purchasing October 2013, with the car being available 2014.