Apple’s ‘Will They Won’t They’ Rumors, Conflicting McLaren Acquisition Reports

Despite recent reports that Apple’s car project is on its last legs, there are now conflicting rumors about the tech company’s plans regarding the British luxury car maker, McLaren. Some reports indicate that Apple wants to acquire the car company while others say that the American giant simply wants to have a partnership with McLaren. As for the car maker itself, the luxury brand is denying any talks going on between it and Apple.

According to The Wall Street Journal, a person familiar with the matter indicates that Apple is planning to buy McLaren for its car project. The talks regarding the acquisition supposedly began several months back and are still ongoing. McLaren, however, decided to poke a hole in that bubble and deny that such talks were taking place.

So, if an acquisition is not in the works, what is Apple trying to do? According to a report by Bloomberg, the company could instead be trying to buy stakes in the carmaker. This was according to even more people who claim to be familiar with the matter and who asked to be anonymous.

One of the reasons why Apple is showing signs of aggression in the car making sector is the lagging sales of its iPhone products. It’s clear that the tech company’s flagship smartphone is no longer the phenomenon that it once was. As such, Apple needs to have a niche where it can stand out and the auto industry seems to be its next target.

As to why it chose McLaren, one reason could be the brand’s solid reputation as a maker of luxury supercars. With vehicles at starting prices of $200,000, Apple could get a huge boost in confidence by having the car company on its corner.

After all, Apple did revolutionize the cellphone industry by offering a more advanced, albeit expensive alternative to traditional devices with its first iPhone. Who says it can’t do the same with cars?