[UPDATE] Contacted by Bloomberg, a BMW spokesman said the Automobilwoche article was “wrong”. In addition, according to an Audi representative, the company is routinely considering various ideas for cooperation as part of its “strategic considerations”.
According to an automobile week report, BMW and Audi both want a piece of McLaren. Specifically, BMW wants to buy McLaren’s supercar business while Audi has McLaren’s F1 team in its sights. The timing of this interest makes sense as McLaren suffered financially during the pandemic and made it ripe for a takeover. The F1 also makes it more affordable for new engine manufacturers to get on the web, so an Audi-powered F1 car is more likely than ever. This unique double takeover of McLaren would result in the brand being split between two new owners with a large capitalization.
Let’s first take a look at the BMW acquisition. A long time ago, when McLaren was ready to build its first street car, BMW supplied the iconic V12 engine of the McLaren F1. Since then, BMW has no longer been involved in the super sports car business. The acquisition of the super sports car maker McLaren would allow BMW to diversify its product portfolio while allowing a free exchange of cutting-edge technology between the two brands. Imagine a new McLaren super sports car with the twin turbo V8 of the BMW M5 behind the driver’s seat or a new BMW 3 Series with McLaren active suspension technology, this is a win-win situation in our eyes.
To get close to Audi’s F1 aspirations, buying the McLaren F1 Team is a breeze. The McLaren F1 has improved massively in 2021, even clinched a race win and secured third place in the constructors’ championship with Ferrari. For the next year, Formula 1 is completely changing its car design while adding a strict budget cap and a halt to engine development to attract new entrants.
This is the perfect time for Audi to acquire the McLaren F1 Team and then give it an Audi powerplant to take on its competitors from Mercedes-AMG who are currently powering the McLarens. While acquisitions present many challenges, this proposed split appears to be a major turning point for all three brands and great news for supercar customers and F1 fans.
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