The partnership that spawned the iconic McLaren F1 supercar back in the 90s could be coming back for an encore. That is, according to Car Magazine, who reported that the two companies have met behind closed doors to discuss a project, focusing on two new electric cars.
According to the UK publication, the two companies are in talks to build not just an electric supercar, but also a carbon fibre electric crossover/SUV to cash in on the craze.
The partnership will reportedly see the joint development of a new low-volume supercar platform, leveraging on McLaren’s expertise in carbon-fibre chassis production, and BMW’s electric powertrain and – let’s be honest – deep pockets.
The two models – if made into reality – will come in both BMW and McLaren guises, as it was reported that none of the brands want to share a model. The basic vehicle architecture and electric drivetrain will be shared, but they’ll each have unique exterior and interior designs to help differentiate between the two – think Z4/Supra, rather than the identical GR86/BRZ twins.
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Romanticism about the F1 aside, the reported BMW-McLaren partnership does raise a few interesting points of note. Firstly, McLaren’s previous leadership flatly rejected the idea of an SUV, saying that it’ll dilute the brand’s puristic values. Thus, it remains to be seen if (and it’s a big if) the rumoured second model will actually be an SUV, or a taller riding sedan like the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.
There’s also the fact that Audi was reportedly looking to take over the Woking supercar maker. Sure, progress has seemingly stalled in recent months, but this new partnership between McLaren and BMW would have, without a doubt, thrown an extra spanner in the works too.
Neither BMW nor McLaren have publicly acknowledged the talks, as one would expect. There are also a lot of pieces that need to fall into place for the partnership to get the green light, so the deal probably won’t happen any time soon, if it even does. But would you be up for a new-age McLaren F1? Let us know in the comments section below!
