Tuesday, March 05, 2013, 02:26 pm

Ferrari in talks with Apple about in-car entertainment partnership

By Katie Marsal

The chairman of luxury carmaker Ferrari has revealed that his company is in active discussions with Apple about a larger partnership for in-car entertainment services.


The news was revealed by Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo at the Geneva motor show on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg. The first signs of a potential alignment between the two companies came last November, when Eddy Cue, Apple's head of Internet software and services, joined the Ferrari board of directors.

Speaking at the car show, Di Montezemolo said that his company will be "more precise" about its partnership with Apple in the coming months.

The latest news came as as Ferrari unveiled its new "FF," the company's first four-seater and four-wheel-drive car. The vehicle supports Siri Eyes Free voice commands, and also includes two iPad minis for rear passengers to use.

Siri Eyes Free functionality debuted with the launch of iOS 6 last year. The new feature allows car-makers to integrate Siri voice control when connected to an iPhone.

For years, Apple has shown interest in having a greater presence in users' cars, though to date it hasn't made any car-centric devices. One car-related patent discovered by AppleInsider last year described a system that would sync an iPhone with a vehicle, sharing information such as contacts and locations.

di Montezemolo also revealed in comments made last year that he had a two-hour meeting with Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook to talk about corporate strategy and management styles. He said that he gained insight from Cook regarding Apple's focus on simplicity, design, and "a passion for product."

"We're building cars, they build computers," he said. "But Apple and Ferrari are connected by the same passion, the same love for the product, maniacal attention to technology, but also to design."