The dream of the electric Apple Car has vanished after much speculation, and finally the painful official closing of the Project Titan by the Cupertino-giant after a decade of R&D. While millions were invested in the exciting project, Apple ditched the adventurous plan this year.
However, ND Woodworking Art, the YouTube DIY channel by Trương Văn Đạo, a Vietnamese craftsman has his version that suggests Apple should have gone ahead with the venture. The skilled dad has created some of the most amazing wooden cars for his kids, and this time around he has bowled me over with the Apple iCar. His son has to be one of the luckiest kids on the planet, and perhaps the only one to own a functional Apple Car. Even though it’s a custom DIY with no association with the consumer electronics giant, the final finishes of the electric car are stunning.
Design: ND Woodworking Art
The design of the aerodynamic-looking iCar starts with assembling the metal frame structure on which the specially cut wooden panels sit one plank at a time. The intricacy of the handmade design doesn’t end there as Trương fine-tunes the look beyond anyone’s imagination or crafting plans. The process involves a lot of detailing and intricate work. He first sands the wooden surface for the ideal finish that’s complementary to a supercar’s bodywork. Then comes a layer of coating for the glossy look.
For the steering wheel, seats and other consoles he uses a darker tone of wood to contrast the light finish on the outside. To create a faux dashboard and infotainment system he puts a tinted fiberglass on Apple iOS-like interface. He doesn’t shy away from installing tinted fiberglass panels for the windshield and windows as well. Lastly, He meticulously crafts the Apple logos from dark wood, both for the front and back, and the wheel rims. For the headlights, taillights and ambient lighting on the windows, Trương uses LED lighting strips.
The final creation is simply breathtaking even though it is in an electric toy car powered by an electric motor on the rear. Seeing it drive on the local roads is more than just satisfying and dads should derive inspiration from this man for his effort and skill!
