Mercedes, BMW United By The Fours

CAR Magazine has been covering the ongoing collaboration negotiations between BMW and Mercedes for some time. As usual, nothing unites like a common enemy, and the longtime rivals have been brought together by the looming leviathan that is the new Porsche-VW alliance. But partnership does not come easily after decades of fierce competition. CAR speculates on the possible causes of ongoing difficulties thusly: “Maybe it’s a mutual case of ‘not invented here’. Maybe it’s what decades of ingrained rivalry does to you. Or a mix of shortsightedness, ignorance and stubborness. Perhaps a combination of the above.” Whatever the cause, BMW and Mercedes have yet to finalize any plans to share M-B’s new M295 all-aluminium V12. Is BMW, like McLaren, suffering from a restrictive Daimler contract with Aston-Martin? We’ll may never know. What is clear is that Mercedes needs a new corporate four-banger for its burgeoning small-car portfolio. The current C-class four is “too big, too heavy and too expensive” say CAR, and a new, shared four-cylinder could be jointly developed for Benz’s A-, B-, C-, E- and GLK-classes, and BMW’s 1-, X1, 3, X3, and MINI models. If no German alliance forms, PSA and Fiat are waiting in the wings, hoping to snag a technical partner for their own next-gen four-bangers. Meanwhile, “other collaboration opportunities between Munich and Stuttgart include more pace-setting hybrid modules, more efficient dual-clutch and automatic transmissions, advanced driver assistance systems and a highly flexible small car concept.” No mention yet of the Sudetenland.