A Memorandum of understanding between the two companies covers the development of a platform for electric sports cars
This partnership arrives in the middle of rumours about McLaren’s ownership
Audi has reportedly made a new bid to acquire the McLaren F1 division
McLaren has been the subject of many rumours in the last months about a potential change of its ownership, but this new partnership with BMW is different.
Multiple reports claimed that either BMW or Audi was in the process of acquiring the British sports car maker, but they were denied by all parties involved.
However, this hasn’t stopped BMW from teaming up with McLaren in a memorandum of understanding.
This partnership will see the two automakers sharing the development of a new platform designed specifically to be used by electric sports cars.
Since the two companies will participate in its creation, it is expected to be used by new vehicles sold by both brands in a few years.
Very few details are known as of now, but considering McLaren’s experience in making supercars and hypercars, it is likely that the BMW models that will be built on this platform will be on the higher-end of the German brand’s lineup.
Despite the agreement, there is still a possibility that this deal will fall through. Indeed, the rumours concerning the ownership of McLaren have not subsided and it is now believed that Audi is trying to buy McLaren’s F1 division with a bid of around $708 million.
The same rumours say that Audi could later expand its investment into McLaren’s road cars operations, which would prevent the company from working with one of Audi’s main competitors.
