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Apple Approaches McLaren About A Potential Acquisition: FT (ft.com)
Apple has approached British Formula One team owner McLaren for a strategic investment or a potential buyout (Editor's note: the link could be paywalled; alternate source), the Financial Times reported, citing sources. The loss-making automotive group could be valued at around $1.4 billion. A deal with McLaren, which also makes high-performance sports cars, could give Apple key automotive technology amid reports that the company is working on a self-driving car. From the report:The California technology group, which has been working on a self-driving electric vehicle for more than two years, is considering a full takeover of McLaren or a strategic investment, according to three people briefed on the negotiations who said talks started several months ago. Update: 09/21 17:31 GMT by M :The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, is now reporting the same. The publication additional says that Apple has also held talks with Lit Motors, a San Francisco start-up that has developed an electric self-balancing motorcycle, about a potential acquisition.
Why would Apple acquire an maker of overpriced consumer luxury goods? How could that possibly fit in with their current portfolio?
I've been a supporter of McLaren since I was a kid. I could never support an Apple F1 team. (or Google, or Microsoft, or Blackberry, or Facebook)
I know it's a corporate entity and it shouldn't matter who owns/runs them- but on a basic level it would ruin it for me.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
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Current rumours are suggesting that Apple's car plans are undergoing a shake-up. It's entirely possible they'll ditch making a whole car themselves, and work at just a few major components that others can integrate.
If that's the case, buying McLaren counterintuitively makes a lot of sense: they do serious design and component work, and having that experience would aid Apple's efforts. Apple's not planning on releasing a million+ dollar car*. Their products (first-gen Apple Watch Edition aside) are expensive but priced to be aspirational, not unattainable.
*Apple-branded, anyway. If they do buy McLaren they could still release new, hyper-expensive cars under that marque
I've been a supporter of McLaren since I was a kid. I could never support an Apple F1 team.
Ok, honest question. Though I know who the teams are I'm not a follower of F1. Why do you care one way or the other about McLaren? What do they do that makes them particularly worthy of your adoration among F1 teams? And why would Apple owning them affect that adoration in any way? Obviously it doesn't bother you that the government of Bahrain is a 50% owner why should it matter if Apple is the owner instead? Not being critical I just don't understand your position.
I know it's a corporate entity and it shouldn't matter who owns/runs them- but on a basic level it would ruin it for me.
Not seeing the logic in your position. And frankly the F1 part of the company is merely the most visible part.
McLaren have denied it in a comment to The Verge:
http://www.theverge.com/2016/9...
I've wondered why there is not an automated racing series.... most new performance technologies are vetted first on the racetrack.
Because there is no money in it. The fact that racing is a test bed for a lot of technology is incidental. Nobody watches auto racing because of that fact and they certainly don't pay money because of it.
This would be a great way to develop bulletproof software.
You run into a lot of pedestrians, bad weather, bad roads, wildlife, oncoming traffic, crossing traffic, traffic lights, etc on a racetrack? If so where are you watching racing? The only automotive racing that might make a credible test bed would be rally car racing and that doesn't deal with any of the city obstacles.
I don't know what sport you support but just for clarification. If Apple bought the New York Yankees and turned them into the "New York iPhones" - do you not think Yankees fans would be annoyed?
And why do you immediately suppose Apple would be so gauche? Come on. You don't have to like Apple but they aren't idiots.
A quiet investment group buying a club or a team... not a big deal, it doesn't impact the public perception of the club.
It's pretty unlikely that Apple would suddenly start branding McLaren's F1 team in such a manner. They're actually pretty adept at the marketing game. Yeah you might see an Apple logo here or there but it's not as if there aren't corporate sponsors already. F1 is basically a business of rolling billboards today.
A big corporate entity buying a club and branding it to suit them. That's selling out! I've never liked how American stadiums are all named after corporations. It ruins the aura for me.
It's adorable that you think F1 has never "sold out" given that the entire business model is advertising. Without explicit corporate sponsorship F1 doesn't exist. They slap corporate logos on anything that moves - literally. And you think Apple getting involved in that promotion-fest would change things? Spare me.
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