BMW and Mercedes engine partnership? Unlike any other ultimate driving machine

A Ford/Chevrolet NASCAR team; a Toyota/Honda hybrid; a post-race hug between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton; a BMW/Mercedes-Benz engine. There are some things in the automotive world that you just never expect to see. The latter, however, may become a reality. BMW Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer has followed up last week's new model announcement with confirmation that BMW has offered to include its cross-town arch-rival on a joint engine development program with PSA Citroen. According to a German newspaper, Reithofer said that the door is open to Daimler--parent company of Mercedes-Benz--and that a third partner in the program would bring "synergy effects". Last week BMW announced a "strategic realignment" program through which it aims to save EU6bn over the next five years partly through "economies of scale through cooperations." Just-auto speculates that the small petrol engine being jointly developed by BMW and PSA for the current MINI could also be used for the upcoming Bimmer 1-Series and for future Mercedes-Benz A-and B-class compacts, but we're going to start saving for our SL335i now.

Source: just-auto