BMW and McLaren working on electric supercar?

Rumors about BMW and McLaren joining forces again after collaborating on the iconic 1990s F1 have been swirling around for several months. Today, CAR Magazine reports that the two automakers might be working on a joint project. Representatives from both automakers reportedly met behind closed doors earlier this year to reach an agreement about some of the preliminary technical details.

BMW and McLaren are apparently partnering on an electric supercar platform that would spawn a model for each brand. However, it wouldn’t be the same vehicle with different badges, but rather cars with distinctive designs inside and out. If true, these will be impressively light (for an EV) as the engineers are allegedly targeting a curb weight of 1,500 kilograms (3,306 pounds). The presumed electric supercar could have all-wheel drive courtesy of quad motors making nearly 1,100 horsepower.

CAR suggests BMW’s version might not even be a supercar, but rather a Porsche Taycan rival to replace the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe.

If you’re wondering why BMW can’t do this on its own, CAR says the brand wants to benefit from McLaren’s greater carbon fiber expertise. The electric supercar project will reportedly come to life in the 2026 to 2028 timeframe and could spawn a crossover as well.