Titan – that is the codename given to the project, according to the Wall Street Journal. It was Apple CEO Tim Cook who reportedly gave the go signal for the project almost a year ago while potential contract manufacturers, including Canadian company Magna Steyr have met up with Apple executives. Steve Zadesky, Apple iPod and iPhone designer, who is formerly with Ford, is reported to be running the said undertaking.

The project is believed to have its own development facility away from the main Infinite Loop campus. The team assigned to it could potentially reach to 1,000 employees while Zadesky is given the authority to pull people from any existing Apple team. The lead designer’s team is said to be researching on “robotics, metals and materials consistent with automobile manufacturing.”

This report follows hours after similar news from the Financial Times, revealing a “top-secret research lab” that are said to be staffed by automobile executives, like former Mercedes-Benz R&D head Johann Jungwirth. Jungwirth joined Apple as a Mac systems engineering leader last fall.

It is also believed that automotive experts and executives have been personally recruited by Apple design chief Jony Ive. Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed earlier that Apple has tried “very hard” to recruit their engineers, offering them $250,000 as bonuses and a whopping 60 percent pay raises.

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