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BMW and Toyota: The Love Story Continues

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BMW-Toyota alliance

It’s getting serious, you guys

At first glance, you’d assume that BMW and Toyota don’t have much in common. One is a German automaker of luxury cars, the other a Japanese company that produces vehicles known mainly for their affordability and reliability. But the two have actually been in a relationship of sorts for quite some time—and now it appears the two might be thinking of taking things to the next level.

Nope, Toyota hasn’t given BMW a key to its apartment, nor are the two set to wed anytime soon (that we know of). But, according to BMW’s CFO, Friedrich Eichiner, the two automakers are in discussions aimed at expanding their alliance—although how exactly they would do that remains unclear.

So far, Toyota and BMW have been working together to create two vehicles simultaneously—a long-awaited replacement for the Toyota Supra, and a BMW roadster that would likely take the place of the Z4 in the automaker’s lineup. The vehicles will be built around a hybrid powertrain (developed by Toyota) but will have different styling designed to appeal to each automaker’s target markets.

So how might the alliance deepen between Toyota and BMW? Likely, BMW is seeking to produce a hydrogen-powered vehicle of its own, similar to the Toyota Mirai, although what Toyota will get out of such a deal remains unclear. Unlike the situation between Sergio Marchionne and GM, it seems like Toyota and BMW really are just that into each other.

News Source: MarketWatch