BMW says looking for engine joint ventures - report
FRANKFURT, Nov 24 (Reuters) - German carmaker BMW B<WG.DE is studying plans to build engines or other parts with rivals, Focus magazine said ahead of its Monday Nov. 26 edition.
It quoted BMW Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer as saying that cooperation was a highly efficient way for the company to realise important projects.
BMW has an engine project with Peugeot/Citroen (PSA) (PEUP.PA) which uses PSA engines in its Mini cars and it might for example be suitable for other BMW models, Reithofer said.
In another advance story, issued by German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, BMW was described as being eyed for possible cooperation by rival Daimler (DAIGn.DE), which the magazine said was looking for link-ups in engines and gearboxes.
Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said in an interview with the magazine that Mercedes was studying the possibility of participating in the BMW-Mini/PSA tie-up.
Zetsche added that Daimler was also talking to Japanese manufacturers about joint usage of 4-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, which Daimler could use early next decade for the new models of the A and B class of its Mercedes brand.
(Reporting by Vera Eckert, Editing by Peter Blackburn)
