√McLaren and BMW in talks for electric supercar development

An electric supercar and a high-riding four-seater GT are rumoured to be on the table, as BMW and McLaren consider a new working relationship.

The partnership that spawned the iconic BMW-powered McLaren F1 supercar of the 1990s could return for a new era.

McLaren and BMW are said to be holding closed-door meetings to discuss the possibility of working alongside each other again in the face of forthcoming electric supercars from Audi and Mercedes-AMG.

According to the UK’s Car Magazine, a low-volume supercar platform may be co-developed by the two companies – leveraging McLaren’s expertise in lean carbon-fibre chassis production, and BMW’s electric powertrain know-how, as well as the German car giant’s deep pockets.

Reportedly neither manufacturer wants to share a model, with the basic vehicle architecture and electric propulsion to be shared, while unique bodies and interiors will help differentiate the two supercars – more along the lines of the Z4/Supra than the identical 86/BRZ twins.

However, with SUVs still in red-hot demand, the two companies may also look to produce a four-seater grand tourer with increased ride height – something which would enable McLaren to compete with Lamborghini’s high-riding electric GT, while giving BMW an 8 Series replacement.

Neither BMW nor McLaren have publicly acknowledged the talks, with a lot of pieces needing to fall into place for the partnership to get the green light.

While not widely publicised, it’s understood BMW agreed to sell McLaren engine technology back in 2017 to help improve emissions and increase power, opening the door for further collaborations in the future.

The post McLaren and BMW in talks for electric supercar development – report appeared first on Drive.