It's an exciting possibility, the notion that BMW and McLaren, who in the 1990s worked together to create the BMW V12-powered McLaren F1 supercar, would perhaps be doing it again. The British magazine Car reported that negotiations were ongoing between the two to build the next BMW supercar, and claimed it would be in dealer showrooms by 2019. But lightning rarely strikes twice—and BMW M GmbH honcho Franciscus van Meel was quick to quash the rumors. Alas, those of us who were pining for a production model of the M1 Hommage can go back to pining.
BMW M CEO Frank van Meel categorically denied any contact between BMW or BMW M with McLaren on the subject of a BMW supercar. In an interview with the Australian automotive web site Motoring.com.au, Van Meel said the idea was pure fantasy.
“I haven’t had a phone call, [BMW CEO] Harald Krüger hasn’t had a phone call, and [BMW R&D head] Klaus Fröhlich hasn’t had a phone call,” said van Meel. “We haven’t made one, either, and we don’t have plans to,” van Meel added.
The original story in Car magazine named Krüger, van Meel, and Fröhlich and implied that their control of the company now would support a McLaren-BMW project.
Industry observers have speculated that BMW was on track to build a supercar—the M100—in time for the firm’s 100th anniversary in 2016, but that the project was cancelled under previous CEO Norbert Reithofer’s tenure because BMW had its hands full with the i3 and i8 and a bunch of other new model launches this year and next.
Based on van Meel’s assertive denials, it does not seem likely that a BMW supercar of any type can be expected for at least the next few years, if ever, but specifically not with McLaren.
“We admire McLaren and we have obviously worked with them in the past, but there is nothing on the agenda,” van Meel explained, and continued, “The halo car of the entire BMW brand is the i8 and a lot of money and engineering has been invested in it. It will remain the only halo for its lifecycle. It would make no sense for us to put a car above the i8, or even priced near it, that would have the same sort of layout but more power.”
His rationale for not going outside the company to collaborate on a supercar was pretty clear. “I don’t understand why we would need to work with McLaren for a supercar anyway,” van Meel said. “All of the technologies the story suggested are technologies that are core competences here at BMW and at M. Nobody in the world is more advanced with carbon-fiber than we are."
Then, touting the advances BMW has made with hybrid powertrains, van Meel explained, “We have shown how strong we are with electric boosting for performance and efficiency, plus we still have a great V8 engine here."
Van Meel put the final nail in the McLaren-BMW supercar rumor's coffin, saying, “What would we need McLaren to do for us?”
That pretty much killed the McLaren angle, but the rumor mill concerning a new BMW supercar collaboration would not be squashed so easily.
A new rumor, reported by Car & Driver, is that BMW and Lexus are teaming up to build a mid-engined supercar that would be badged both as a BMW—to counter the Audi R8—and as a Lexus LFA replacement.
It’s no secret that BMW and Toyota have been working on some projects together: small engines, hydrogen fuel cells, and a new roadster. Recently a Toyota executive was cited as saying a final decision on the roadster was due by the end of the year. But according to Car & Driver's source “close to Lexus," the two companies are working on something more and that the joint supercar project has moved to the prototype phase. The source goes on to reveal that the BMW version will have an inline six from BMW M as part of a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The car, again quoting C&D’s source, would be available in 2020.
Given the head of BMW M’s unequivocal denial of BMW consulting with McLaren on a supercar, and that BMW’s halo car for the foreseeable future will continue to be the i8, how likely is it that this new rumor about a Lexus supercar collaboration has any merit?
With the BMW i8, BMW has proven that it doesn’t need anyone’s help in designing and building a carbon-fiber-tubbed car with the look and feel of a supercar. Since “motor” is the company’s middle name, and since it already owns some of the best performance engines on the market, we also don’t think BMW needs a partner to build supercar engines. So if BMW doesn’t need help designing or building a supercar chassis, body, or engine, why would it go looking for a supercar collaborator?
We’re willing to take M boss Frank van Meel at his word, and if BMW doesn’t need McLaren to help build a supercar, it certainly doesn’t need Lexus, either. If BMW wants to build a supercar—which, according to van Meel, it does not, at least during the i8’s production lifetime—then BMW M would be the company that builds it. Which is just fine with us.—Scott Blazey
[McLaren F1 and BMW i8 photos courtesy of BMW AG, Lexus LFA photo courtesy of Lexus; M100 rendering courtesy of R. Varicak via Auto Bild; rendering of rumored BMW supercar courtesy of Andrei Avarvarii via Car; Audi R8 photo courtesy of Audi AG.]
