Apple In Talks To Buy McLaren

No, that's not what he said. He said:

"Mclaren technologies have zero to offer either. Their tech is primitive, as is their talent, compared to what Apple already has. A pointless acquisition that offers Apple nothing that it doesn't already have."

And obviously it's nonsense. McLaren has tons of experience in automotive electronics, electrical systems, sensors, simulations, and materials.

And speaking of EV, they supplied the powertrain and all electronics for Formula E. They supply electronics to the highest tiers of motorsport.

So yeah, I think they know a thing or two about electronics, among many other things. And let's be honest, no one here has any clue whatsoever what Apple is even working on. No one knows anything at all about their project. For ginge to claim any knowledge of what they have or need is absurd. The project lead of Project Titan just left the company, there have supposedly been significant layoffs in the project, and the speculation is that the project has changed substantially and probably isn't even a car anymore (though I and many have been saying for a while that they probably aren't trying to build a car.)

 

Imo there were just a few Apple execs going to Woking to showcase their autonomous driving tech and close a deal on integration while as usual everything has been blown out of proportions. Like when some Honda execs were seen in Woking and everybody thought McLaren would have changed owners at that time.

 

Ah, the old he said she said

This is true

This is also true, unless you are talking about racing. Apple is not getting into racing. So, the statement can be considered wholly true.

True. Unless you think Apple wants to buy the Woking facility. It doesn't, it can easily have something better built customized to its needs. So, this statement, too, can be considered wholly true.

It has some CATIA expertise in-house, some data analysis capability specific to racecar and roadcar performance, and a few tooling specialists. Otherwise it outsources everything except assembly and management. And you can easily argue that Apple has all of those things in greater quantity and quality. Unless you are specifically talking about racing.

Apple is creating the tech interfaces and ecosystems for cars, not the cars or motive powerplants. So, this is really not relevant.

They do. However, Apple has a LOT more electrical power expertise. MAGNITUDES more.

Several people do.

Unless you know what everyone on this board does, I don't think this is a valid statement.

It's fairly obvious if you know people involved with these projects, people in senior management positions at the two companies, and piece together things from the industry press applying basic common sense.

They were never trying to build a car. Or a drivetrain. It doesn't mean they won't in the future, but so far they haven't. And if they ever venture into this area, there are far more suitable acquisitions for them to consider than McLaren.

Seems to me ginge is right and you are not willing to accept that. Why?

 

Yup.

 

Yup.

 

I'm with The Mayor on this - bad idea.

 

This might be dumber than ginge's comments.

If Apple has so much technology and expertise, why are they outsourcing components and technology in the iPhone? Why did Intel design the iPhone modem? Why aren't they using their own CPU/GPU designs in Macs? Why do LG and Sony provide the camera sensors? Why does Apple use Google Cloud and Amazon AWS before it? How come they aren't creating the technology used in semiconductor fabs? Why was/is the GPU in the iPhone provided by Imagination Technologies and not Apple themselves?

It's funny how McLaren could have no technology or talent to offer Apple, yet every other company in the world has plenty to offer Apple. Apple is a customer to many, many companies.

News flash: Apple doesn't invest in, develop, or build a lot of what they use in their projects.

So what would McLaren have to offer Apple? Well, they have some of the most capable automotive engineers on the planet, so I'm sure they could engineer quite a bit. Do you think their supercar and F1 engineers are not capable of developing and working on EVs or autonomous vehicles? Are their ECUs not good enough? Are their chassis designers not capable of designing a chassis in an EV? The idea that McLaren's expertise is limited to racing is crazy. It's like saying a rocket scientist for NASA wouldn't be of significant use to Boeing, or vice versa.

The idea that Apple is just going to hire away all the talent in the world and bring it in-house is retarded. No one does that. The biggest automotive companies in the world don't do that. ZF, Bosche, Getrag, to name a few, supply the biggest manufacturers in the world and yet you think Apple needs nothing from anybody.

Funny how companies like GSK or oil and gas drillers in the North Sea do business with McLaren, but Apple could never get anything of use from them.

In 5 years they've developed some of the highest performing road cars in the world and compete with far larger and better funded companies in that field, yet they have no expertise Apple might want for developing their own automotive products. Right.

Would it make sense for Apple to acquire McLaren? Not in my opinion. Is it very possible Apple would contract McLaren to do work on their automotive products? Sure.

Now you're free to share with Fchat and the rest of the world what exactly Project Titan is, its progress, and the specifics of it since you're so clearly in the know.

 

They are perfect for eachother. Constant updates and new models that are exactly the same coming out every year.

 

Noone:

Apple doesn't give a crap about their F1 team. Its just advertising to them.

Apple doesn't give a crap about anything McLaren does technology-wise to do with the internal combustion engine.

Apple doesn't give a crap about it's "styling" or "heritage".

Apple doesn't give a crap about their existing line up of cars

All Apple want is engineers, production people, marketing and sales people, part procurement, experience in legal issues to get cars sellable in different countries around the worlkd, its brand name (soon to be Apple's brand name) and a manufacturing facility

If you think this is good for McLaren then I have some beach front property to sell you in the Sahara desert.

 

Of course they don't. When did I ever say they did?

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here. McLaren Group has expertise in many things automotive, and Apple could certainly be interested in their expertise and technology related to many automotive applications. It has nothing to do with McLaren's current cars or ICEs.

Would McLaren, if for some strange reason Apple did acquire them, be better off? No idea and I wouldn't care one way or another. I have nothing at stake in it...

 

Perhaps we are reading to much into this? Apple may just want a car manufacturer for expansion and Tesla is not for sale currently (maybe in a year or so if their fortunes/profitability doesn't change). McLaren may be the cheapest one currently available. Apple sure has the funds to buy McLaren and that may be cost effective vs starting a car company from stratch.

 

This. I have quite a bit of Apple stock so I can now claim that I own a part of Mcl too. Lol

Seriously Apple does want to get into the driverless car biz ala Google so this acquisition makes sense. Let's see where it all goes down the road.

 

If Apple buys McLaren we have to move it from the British thread to American Muscle.

 

https://youtu.be/oV6NnxFfKRU


My cars:

2013 Ferrari 458 Spider

2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet

........Only 2 worth mentioning.

 

C'mon guys, give ginge82, TheMayor and Igor Hound a break, poor lost souls, no way they're real humans.

Watch this:

Hey you three, please prove to us that you all aren't brain dead:
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Watch out Ferrari if that happens.....ideal fit for both companies

 

Not according to this article:

McLaren denies reports that Apple is looking to make a deal [Updated] | Ars Technica


(But given the way we conduct some of these business transactions, anything is still possible.)



Jim

 

FWIW:

Analysis: No smoke without fire as Apple/McLaren rumours fly

 

There was no way in the world that Apple was going to be owning a gasoline powered racing team.

 

It's dead, Jim

 

Done deal TheMayorobot. Wait for it...

 

Peanuts for Apple and could give them the Supercar Tesla, amazing for branding.

 

Number of fully electric cars made by Mclaren = 0
Number of autonomous cars made by Mclaren = 0

You can throw one of your classic fanboy meltdowns as much as you like. You cannot deny FACTS.

Like the Mayor has already said, Apple don't want some sports cars made around one tub and petrol engine, nor do they want a crappy F1 team or a technology subsidiary that is light years behind what their team already has, given the fully electric and autonomous cars that they want to build. If Apple need help manufacturing parts they should skip Mclaren completely and contact the companies that Woking sub contract to.

 

Hey, did you hear? Ferrari has the same petrol engine in 3 cars! Can you believe it, ginge?! Ferrari, the cream of the crop and biggest exotic maker on the planet, is now using the same 3.9L TT V8 in the 488, Cali T, and Lusso. Next up might just be the F12 T! A single engine in 3 different models! I wish McLaren would make another model so they could use a 3.8L TT V8 in 3 models instead of 2. Bummer, right?

Crazy times we're living in, right?

 

Yes, but Mclaren use the same one in EVERYTHING that they make.

Weird.