The on-again, off-again, and forget about it romances between BMW and Daimler are legend. So much legend, that they fill pages on Google. Short version: The tops want some kind of a wedding, the bottoms torpedo any collaboration wherever they can. So if BMW and Daimler won’t be able to tie the knots(s), who can? Wait until you hear who dares.
Germany’s Handelsblatt reports that “GM flirts with BMW.” They already cooperate with transmissions and hybrid powertrains (they do?), but now they want to get to third base.
The paper heard that there are low-level talks (they often are more productive than high level announcements with no follow-through) “which haven’t progressed too far yet.” GM might be interested in engines and maybe more. Forget about BMW buying into the IPO: “Cross share holdings are out of the question, even if they are only symbolic,” said a BMW spokesperson to the Handelblatt. BMW wants to keep its independence.
This could be as simple as BMW leasing some German Opel plants (and workers) to address its planned FWD small car production. That alone could save GM the cost of layoffs. Who knows – BMW might want to buy the Opel plants, giving GM some cash as well.
One presumes BMW well knows GM’s stellar track record with its foreign – and especially European – holdings. Then again….
They already cooperate with transmissions and hybrid powertrains (they do?)
Handelsblatt must have missed the news last Summer.
Meanwhile, BMW selling engines to GM? If this is about more than (say) four-cylinder diesels for Europe, color me gobsmacked.
What is the point of this article? Low level talks held and no progress. So nothing has actually happened than a few people have spoken about sharing some stuff?
BMW are moving into small FWD cars (unfortunately) and GM has experience in that area. Small displacement engines are required. Remember the Mini originally had a Peugeot codesigned engine and GM is certainly better than Peugeot right now.
The first BMW Mini had petrol engines made in Brazil by Chrysler and diesel ones made by Toyota. The current generation uses petrol engines co-developed by BMW and Peugeot, and the diesel engine is coming straight from Peugeot.
I’d certainly take any Peugeot instead of one of those “Chevrolet” crap GM is selling in Europe. And when it comes to Opel, they might have experience through the Corsa but remember the Agila was a re-badged Suzuki…
Emmm, no. Although the frenchy thing may be way nicer inside and to drive, I’d take the Chevy over the stupidly complicated Peugeot
Just imagine the fruits of such an alliance— the world’s best handling POS.
The Ultimate Driving PO$. Heh.
Couldn’t BMW just buy GM at this point? The new GM stock might not be worth the paper it is printed on when they get around to actually selling it.
If BMW takes over Saab then this would make sense. Also if you can plug in a BMW engine in a Opel in Saab drag than you can also put one in an Opel/Buick and that saves money
I can’t see BMW selling itself to anyone, but I can see BMW buying some or all of GM. Opel may be attractive because they could rationalise it and because BMW could do with some additional capacity. I could for example see BMW wanting GM’s UK plants because their own UK plant (which makes MINI) is at capacity but BMW’s engine facility at Hams Hall has lots of excess capacity. At least one UK plant would allow them to move the MINI Clubman line from it’s outsourced location in Austria to Britain.
The less efficient German plants could then be rationalised. This whole thing may indeed be about Opel although I suspect BMW is considering the lot.
Hmmmm, Chevy’s with iDrive…Bimmers with Ecotecs and Ventiports. Awesome.