A BMW-McLaren partnership has been in the news cycle in the past, but both companies denied a joint cooperation at the time. The tide might change though. According to Carscoops, McLaren, traditionally known for its high-performance sports cars, is considering an expansion into the SUV market with a new concept referred to as the “Shared Performance” vehicle. This development aims to provide a direct competitor to Ferrari’s Purosangue SUV. During a recent press event in Europe, McLaren’s CEO, Michael Leiters, along with Piers Scott, Head of Global Communications, provided insights into the initial planning stages of this new venture.
McLaren and BMW: A Future Collaboration on the Horizon?
Scott explained that the company is still in the process of determining the final design and technical specifications for the SUV, which may feature both two- and four-door options and will accommodate more than two seats. The project is expected to involve a significant financial outlay, potentially around £1 billion ($1.3 billion), to develop a new vehicle architecture that could support both hybrid and fully electric powertrains. For the hybrid variant, Scott mentioned the possibility of integrating McLaren’s in-house developed V6 or V8 engines, similar to those used in the McLaren Artura.
McLaren is exploring partnerships for the platform development, with BMW emerging as a potential collaborator due to existing ties and shared technological initiatives, including battery supply for McLaren’s hybrid systems. Such a partnership could yield a high-performance plug-in hybrid SUV that might distinguish itself from BMW’s own offerings like the XM model. BMW is also no stranger of platform collaborations. The German automaker and Toyota worked together on the new generation of the Z4 and Supra, respectively.
The Iconic McLaren F1
Rumors about BMW and McLaren joining forces again after collaborating on the iconic 1990s F1 have been swirling around for several years. In 2022, a report said the two were apparently partnering on an electric supercar platform that would spawn a model for each brand. However, nothing panned out so far.
While a partnership between BMW and McLaren is allegedly under consideration, it is not yet confirmed, and McLaren is evaluating several potential collaborators. Additionally, the company has dismissed the possibility of partnerships with Tesla or Lucid, addressing and refuting recent speculation in the industry.
Currently, our sources remain reserved on this matter, so we are unable to provide further details at this time. However, we are eagerly anticipating the potential development of a McLaren-BMW collaboration, as it promises to be a groundbreaking venture in the automotive industry.
[Source: Carscoops]