Apple in talks to acquire self-balancing electric motorcycle firm Lit Motors too?

Earlier today, sportscar maker McLaren denied that it's engaged in talks with Apple about a possible takeover. The rumored discussions were first reported by the Financial Times.

But the company behind the British Formula One constructor isn't the only vehicle manufacturer to find itself in the Apple takeover rumor mill. On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Apple has also been chatting with San Francisco's Lit Motors, a startup working on self-balanced electric motorcycles. The talks are said to be about a "potential acquisition."

Apple's Project Titan autonomous EV program has reportedly been struggling lately, and the potential synergies of an Apple-McLaren tie-up would seem like they might have the potential to reinvigorate the top-secret initiative. Conversely, it isn't immediately clear how Apple would benefit from buying Lit Motors, which still has yet to release its gyroscopically balanced C-1 Auto-Balancing Electric Vehicle, a battery-powered motorcycle that was originally slated to go on sale back in 2013. (The C1 AEV was first shown about five years ago, and judging by recent reports, it's still years away from production).

According to The New York Times, Apple has already hired away a number of Lit Motors' engineers, so it clearly has the company on its radar. It's also possible that an acquisition of Lit might not cost Apple a great deal. According to CrunchBase, Lit Motors has raised only $2.2 million in total equity funding to date, and according to Digital Trends, it has recently come under fire from a potential Chinese knockoff.

Roadshow reached out to Apple and Lit Motors for comment, but as of publication time, neither company had responded. This report will be updated as new information becomes available.