Just when you thought the rumors of Apple's self-driving electric car desires were on some sort of indefinite hiatus, conflicting (but promising!) reports surrounding an alleged deal-in-progress between Apple and McLaren Technology Group has the planet shook. Financial Times reported Wednesday that Apple was "in talks" about a possible McLaren takeover, though McLaren promptly denied any such thing in a subsequent statement.
"We can confirm that McLaren is not in discussion with Apple in respect of any potential investment," a representative from the British automaker, also known for its fleet of Formula One race cars, told the Hollywood Reporter Wednesday afternoon. The move into automotive concerns makes perfect sense, The Hollywood Reporter noted, when considering Apple's billion-dollar investment into Chinese ride-calling app Didi Chuxing earlier this year.
Apple is simultaneously rumored to be in early discussions with the San Francisco start-up Lit Motors, a company that has developed its own line of electric motorcycles with self-balancing capabilities. According to a separate report from the New York Times, sources say the discussion centered on a "potential acquisition." The buy wouldn't be a total shocker, as Apple has already bagged a few former Lit Motors engineers.
Apple's seemingly inevitable expansion into the self-driving electric car market has been a source of great speculation for years, most recently with a Timesreport alleging that the mysterious "Titan" project had started to face daunting "developmental challenges." Anonymous sources told reporters earlier this month that parts of the program had been shuttered outright, with "dozens" of employees being cut free.
For those not concerned with car matters, catch the future wave by getting yourself an iPhone 7. Rumor has it they don't spontaneously burst into flames.
