Apple's next secret-project hire? Bob Mansfield, former hardware exec - Roadshow

Just when you thought that the world could use a break from automotive speculation involving Apple, it appears right back atop the news cycle. No, the car hasn't been spotted in the wild. Rather, Apple's reportedly tapped one of its hardware execs to lead the company's top-secret Project Titan.

Bob Mansfield, who used to helm some of the tech giant's hardware engineering efforts, will become the overseer of Project Titan, The Wall Street Joual reports. Mansfield started at Apple in 1999, and has served as an adviser since leaving its executive ranks in 2013. He's also worked on other special projects, including Apple Watch.

Apple has not yet responded to a request for comment, but it declined to comment to comment to the WSJ. The company's been rather tight lipped about anything involving Project Titan, which we're all pretty sure exists, but good luck trying to get anyone to talk about it without a veil of anonymity, as is the case with WSJ's sources here.

Project Titan might not be a car by itself. In fact, it could be the start of an ecosystem similar to Uber or Lyft, wherein you can schedule some time with an Apple car when you need it. Given Apple's investment in Didi Chuxing, Uber's biggest rival in China, that idea might not be too far-fetched.