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The rivals will now share components
Arch showroom rivals BMW and Mercedes have reportedly shaken hands on an agreement that will see shared components used in the manufacturer of both brands – and the move could extend to shared engines in the future.
The cost-saving measure has been confirmed to Germany’s
Auto Motor & Sport magazine by Klaus Dreager, development head at BMW. The two firms already combine forces to purchase hidden items like air conditioning systems, but both marques are looking for more ways to save extra Euros as the credit crunch hits the automotive industry hard.
It has been rumoured previously that Merc and BMW could share development of a future V12 engine. This was given weight to in the interview by Draeger, who said BMW is ready to make engines available to competitors, including Mercedes. Reports say BMW is already talking to Aston Martin about a similar move on engine sharing, but no agreement has been reached thus far.
Don’t expect either prestige German marque to trumpet any future moves, but they’ll be happening behind the scenes. “The use of economies of scale is being implemented. We don’t need model changes or official announcements,” Draeger told
AM&S.
THink we'll see the V12TT from Merc in an M5 anytime soon?
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