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Apple and McLaren reportedly in acquisition talks


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Old 21-09-2016, 16:58
d123
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Apple approached British supercar-maker McLaren to discuss an acquisition or a strategic investment in the firm, reports the Financial Times. The talks are said to have been in progress for several months.

McLaren is best known for its Formula One racing team and, a few months ago, rumors surfaced that Apple was considering an acquisition of the Formula One racing league itself. McLaren also has a fast-growing road cars division that started less than a decade ago but has received great praise for its million-dollar P1 hybrid hypercar and its range of supercars. McLaren also has a large consulting division and a technologies group that acts as a parts supplier to other carmakers and race teams.


http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/13...utonomous-cars
Apple supercar a step closer?
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Old 21-09-2016, 17:59
Aye Up
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Its a bizarre tie-up on paper. However McClaren are at the forefront of auto innovation, so its a good investment. McClaren also have some battery technologies in the pipe line, this could be a perk for Apple.
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Old 21-09-2016, 20:26
Stuart_h
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Its a bizarre tie-up on paper. However McClaren are at the forefront of auto innovation, so its a good investment. McClaren also have some battery technologies in the pipe line, this could be a perk for Apple.
Wonder if it has anything to do with the paper bag ...... Cryptic stuff
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Old 21-09-2016, 20:31
Rodney McKay
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Considering how awful the F1 team is at the moment, I'm not sure Apple would be that wise.
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Old 21-09-2016, 20:40
daveh75
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Personally I've always thought an Apple Car ludicrous, and I would bet it's nothing more than an investment.

After all, with the majority of their cash pile stashed off shore away from US tax authorities what else they going to do with it other than foreign investment...
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Old 21-09-2016, 20:43
gomezz
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This may result in a cooler-looking F1 car (although I personally hate all white designs) but will still be two years behind the opposition in performance.
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Old 21-09-2016, 20:44
Everything Goes
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Wonder if it has anything to do with the paper bag ...... Cryptic stuff
They might try and patent the wheel

Its a bizarre tie-up on paper. However McClaren are at the forefront of auto innovation, so its a good investment. McClaren also have some battery technologies in the pipe line, this could be a perk for Apple.
They recently invested $1 Billion in Didi Chuxing in China which is kind of like Uber.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-ap...185250652.html
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Old 22-09-2016, 04:52
Stig
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Supercar maker McLaren denies Apple investment report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37435865
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Old 22-09-2016, 10:11
clonmult
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Supercar maker McLaren denies Apple investment report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37435865
Here's hoping this is true.

Apple and McLaren would make roughly no sense. But then "No sense" is the state of play for any major acquisitions, I mean MS buying LinkedIn is utterly ridiculous but it still happened.
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Old 22-09-2016, 12:41
Stereo Steve
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I can't really see the synergy. I suppose I can see a tie up on the road car front but then you would suspect that Apple would want to produce family cars rather than performance cars. I suppose they could both be developed by Mclaren and the family car branded differently as with Merc / Smart and so on. No doubt Mclaren will be looking hard at electric road cars for the very near future on the performance side too.

The F1 thing would require more of a crystal ball. Honda are clearly looking for a long term involvement in F1 and their engine is coming up to speed. But they favour hydrogen cells generally as a concept and I doubt that would fit with Apple's vision. F1 is partially electric already and no doubt the petrol burning element will become less and less over time as road cars go electric. That puts it on a collision course with Formula E and they will have to either merge or one will die.

I cannot see Apple wanting to be involved in modern F1. That said, now that Liberty have bought the sport there may be tie ups there in broadcasting etc.

I believe if there is anything in it and the denials have quite carefully worded, it will be on the road car front rather than racing and that would be Mclaren developing technology to be used in Apple cars. There is no way that Mclaren have the production capabilities for the scale that Apple would be looking at.
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Old 22-09-2016, 14:00
Maxatoria
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Apple really would like all the sensor systems etc that McClaren have and constantly working to improve, its doubtful that Apple themselves will not go into building cars as they break down and having to deal with all the legal regulations surrounding motor vehicles it would be a royal pain but if they can just flog the software etc then every car is another nice sale with probably even lower cost as the builder of the car will have to build it all and all Apple has to do is download it and whammo probably 500 bucks in the bank for zero hardware cost.
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Old 22-09-2016, 22:53
MeicY
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APPLE FORMULA ONE

New car to be named the iF1.

Car will need a minimum of four refuels to get through a race.

Pit-to-car radio will not work if the driver touches a particular part of the car in a particular way.

No need for a steering wheel, all car functions will be done from one giant fingertip sensor.

Lightning Port to be renamed Lightning McQueen Port.

It cannot be refueled AND the driver use the radio at the same time.

Body panels will probably bend if car crashes, but that will not be the fault of the engineers.

All pit crew to wear blue t-shirts and be unsufferably smug. Garage to be kitted out in huge amounts of see through plastic and faux wood.

If part of a car goes wrong, can take up to 14 days for replacement part to be sent through to garage.

Manufacture of said parts will be outsourced to Chinese sweatshops.

Team will run one big car, and one slightly smaller car.

Next year's car will be the same as this year's car, but with an S on the end.
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Old 23-09-2016, 10:07
clonmult
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Apple really would like all the sensor systems etc that McClaren have and constantly working to improve, its doubtful that Apple themselves will not go into building cars as they break down and having to deal with all the legal regulations surrounding motor vehicles it would be a royal pain but if they can just flog the software etc then every car is another nice sale with probably even lower cost as the builder of the car will have to build it all and all Apple has to do is download it and whammo probably 500 bucks in the bank for zero hardware cost.
Punctuation is a great thing, I suggest you start making use of it.

The company is called McLaren.

McLaren have done a lot of R&D into the hybrid systems and energy recovery - thats come in part from F1. I'm not sure what "sensor systems etc" McLaren have that is unique.

Whilst this years performance is not particularly great, McLaren are known for engineering excellence and indecently high quality products. Their road cars are genuinely high quality products. Unlike Apple products which have a thin veneer of high quality and are ultimately just mast market disposable electronics, the same as most Android devices.

There are no synergies at all. It makes no sense. And thankfully it has been denied.
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