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BMW says there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that they might be cooperating with GM. A week ago, Germany’s Handelsblatt had reported that “GM flirts with BMW.” Supposedly, there were low level talks.
“Absolutely no discussions … not on our end,” BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer told Reuters an event at BMW’s plant in Spartanburg. “I don’t know where it comes from.” With the “not on our end,” he alluded that GM may have been talking to itself.
BMW is actively shopping its engines to achieve better economies of scale. Late September, Saab and BMW announced a deal allowing Saab to use BMW engines in next generation Saabs from 2012. Whether that will have huge scale effects is another story.
9 Comments on “BMW: Working With GM? Us? You Must Be Dreaming...”
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Well, it isn’t all that long ago that it was the other way around, with BMW buying slushboxes from the General. The first E39’s from 1996 were equipped with GM-manufactured auto trannies, presumably because they were the best available.
With BMW planning to add a FWD platform between the MINI and 1-series, it would appear they’ve sucked up a good deal of GM-style thinking.
Plenty to be gained from a partnership. BMW could learn how to further and more rapidly trash their dwindling brand image. GM could learn how to make crazy money from charging customers for equipment assumed to be standard on the cheapest of vehicles.
PR at its best.
I guess he won’t want his brand “tarnished” by a possible association with GM.
There was no 2003 Z3…
That is an awesome billboard. And I say this as a former Z3 owner.
Not un-heard of…BMW is currently using GM automatics built in France in the 328i. I believe in the past BMW provided a diesel engine that Lincoln used in 1984-85 Continental Mk VII’s.
This is no biggie. All that happened is that GM’s Vice Chairman had a little speculative chat with BMW execs at the Paris Motor Show. We also found his business card left lying around in the Daimler area…. but this went unreported.
It’s just the usual schmooze.
The real issue is, what are the stages of relationship building when OEMs make agreements. It has to go from first handshakes and CEO to CEO chemistry (or not), down through all manner of business and technical negotiations, before any engineering activities take place. All BMW are saying is “Hey, no step 2 being planned”.
GM & BMW & Chrysler have been working very closely for years on HYBRIDs. I find it very hard to believe that they never ever discussed anything else.