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Apple's Mysterious Facility Sees Residents Complaining About "Motor Noises"

Loud "motor"-like noises have been reported at the Sunnyvale campus where Apple has set its latest base, with the rumor mill talking about the Apple Car being tested inside the facility.
Apple Car rendering 1 photo
Photo: Franco Grassi
Over the last few months, residents of the area close to the seven-building campus, one of which has been rented by the tech giant, have complained to Sunnyvale authorities about "motor" noises disturbing the area at night, as AppleInsider writes.

"[Do] there have to [be] motor noises at 11:00 p.m. at night like last night? Even with the windows closed I could still hear it," a resident wrote to the city.

Aside from the building mentioned above, which Apple leased back in 2014, the company has been rumored to operate remotely through a company sharing the location, which is known as SixtyEight Research.

The latter is a "market research" company, but there's an aura of mystery surrounding its operations, which does leave the Apple Car possibility open.

However, there's no official connection between Apple and SixtyEight Research. And we can say the same about the info on the company using the facility to venture into the automotive world. However, the tech company does plan to build a 10-foot security fence around the location.

Still, jumping to conclusions at this stage is too early. For one thing, Apple is likely to pursue the EV route, which would make the engine soundtrack claims above less than relevant.

Project Titan

Little is known about what is expected to be a future Apple Car. Dubbed Project Titan, this development has seen Apple going down the head-hunting route, though.

The company has reportedly hired hundreds of employees for this project, with dozens of them coming from the likes of Tesla, GM and Ford, as well as battery developer A123 Systems.

Even in this rumor storm, it's obvious that the Cupertino giant faces plenty of difficulties in its quest to build an automobile. The latest news that points to this conclusion talk about Steve Zadesky, Apple's Vice-President of Design who is believed to helm the development of Project Titan, saying that he is reportedly leaving the company.

Nevertheless, given the reinvention philosophy that fuels Apple's business model, an automotive effort from the company's side would certainly generate a massive leap forward. According to unofficial sources, the vehicle is set to debut in 2019.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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