McLaren And BMW Working On Electric Car Platform: Report

There have been rumors floating around the internet for months about Audi or BMW potentially buying McLaren. All three parties have repeatedly denied the reports, despite some recent moves, according to recent articles in German media. The situation is not very clear at the moment, but we will try to guide you through currently known facts and rumors.

In November last year, initial reports indicated BMW was interested in acquiring a stake in McLaren but the information was described as “false” by representatives of the Bavarian automaker. Days later, Audi was also involved as the potential new owner of the British company, although a PR manager from Ingolstadt was quick to say no official information could be released. Meanwhile, McLaren said it was “completely inaccurate” and announced it would seek the false report to be removed by the publication.

Fast forward to today, there is a new report claiming Audi has made a new bid to acquire McLaren. We’ll get to that part in a minute, but there’s something even more interesting as part of a report that comes from a German print magazine. Automobilwoche. Publishing sister of Automotive News for the German market claims there are ongoing discussions between McLaren and BMW about a new electric vehicle platform.

Not much is known at this time, although the article says the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding on March 24. This includes co-development of a new electric vehicle architecture for sports cars, but so far no other information is available.

However, Automotive News report this agreement may be canceled by agreement with Audi if it materializes. It is believed the German company has raised its bid to acquire a stake in McLaren from €450 million to €650 million (roughly from $490 million to $708 million). Audi is reportedly looking to invest first in McLaren’s F1 division before potentially expanding its investment into the McLaren brand for road vehicles.