McLaren isn't being bought by Audi, despite the rumours

Tuesday, 16 November 2021

McLaren was linked with an Audi buyout, but it seems that was just a rumour.

Over the weekend, a report emerged claiming McLaren was to be split in two and sold, with the road car division going to BMW and the motorsport team to be bought by Audi.

A BMW spokesperson was quick to deny the rumour but an Audi representative said that it “routinely considers various ideas for cooperation,” hinting that something may actually be going on behind the scenes, buoyed by British media.

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Apparently, according to a now-removed Autocar UK story, the Volkswagen Group’s first offer to buy McLaren through Audi was rejected, with McLaren’s executive chairman Paul Walsh wanting double what was offered.

An agreement was said to have been reached, which would have resulted in all of McLaren aside from McLaren Applied (the arm responsible for electrification systems), which was sold to a private investment group earlier this year.

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The deal would have allowed Volkswagen an easy route into competing in Formula 1, something it has been mulling over the specifications of a new powertrain due for introduction in 2026.

As for road cars, McLaren’s powertrains might have been phased out in favour of Audi units, similarly to Lamborghini using an Audi engine in the Urus and Porsche using Audi engines in various models.

Future McLaren models may have even benefited from the Rimac-Bugatti tie-up, which will develop all-electric successors to the Nevera and Chiron.

However, now a statement from McLaren has stopped the rumour in its tracks, calling it “wholly inaccurate.”

“McLaren’s technology strategy has always involved ongoing discussions and collaboration with relevant partners and suppliers, including other carmakers, however, there has been no change in the ownership structure of the McLaren Group.”

McLaren has been financially running on fumes for a while, despite a £500 million (NZ$952,809,057) refinancing last year and a £150m (NZ$285,842,717) capital injection from existing shareholders, including Bahrain's Mumtalakat sovereign wealth fund and “a limited number of new private investors”.

The British maker also sold its Woking headquarters for £170m (NZ$323,901,765) to investment firm GNL, signing a deal to lease the property for the next 20 years.