Reports: Apple to purchase McLaren Technology Group?
So, the internet is already flooded with Apple Mac/McLaren puns and jokes so I will save you the pain of having to read too many more.
The Financial Times is running a story today stating that Apple has approached McLaren Technology Group with the intention of acquiring the luxury automobile manufacturer. The interesting thing here is that the Technology Group has 3 main subsidiaries:
McLaren Applied Technologies: produces high-end next-gen items such as Mark Cavendish's Tour De France bicycle
McLaren Automotive: This is the car manufacturer, producing the 570S, 650S, P1 and more.
McLaren Racing Limited/McLaren Honda: This is the world famous Formula One team.
So why would the Mac maker be buying the Mc racer?
Image credit: Automobile Italia Flickr
Apple's interest in venturing into the automobile sector has been widely reported for many years now, with an 'Apple Car' being supposedly in the works for coming up to 3-4 years with little to no details having been released about the project by the tech juggernaut as of September 2016. Apple has been poaching a team of auto engineers and designers throughout this period but the end goal of this project is not clear. Is Apple aiming to provide technology to underpin cars manufactured by other companies, or is it wanting to manufacturer and design its own vehicles?
A possible coupling with McLaren might answer some of these questions. With the British based company owning an impressive amount of patents, being at the forefront of automobile technology and renown for its engineering practices Apple would be buying a brand with a strong reputation.
What could this mean for McLaren?
The potential consequences of this acquisition for McLaren could be small, or gigantic, it will come down to how ambitious Apple are being with their Apple Car project. If the project aims to be a mass-produced consumer product then this will be a sea change for McLaren who currently only manufacture thousands of vehicles per year, not the tens or hundreds of thousands Apple could potentially sell. The F1 team has been struggling to find a title sponsor for the cars for the past 2-3 seasons so could we soon see the fruit logo on the race track? Time will tell.
Are these reports genuine? And if so, will we see Apple making a large investment in the company or attempt a full takeover? Post your thoughts in the comment section below or on the Forum.
Image credit: Header image from Falcon Photography Flickr
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