BMW To Acquire De Tomaso; Is The Supercar Renaissance Among Us?

Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, De Tomaso Pantera. An American-Italian pop culture icon of the late 70's to late 80's, the peak and plummet of the Pantera's fame closely mirrored Jean-Claude Van Damme's action film career. Now, just as JCVD made a dramatic comeback in this summer's butch flick, Expendables 2, rumors are suggesting that the defunct De Tomaso supercar brand might get resurrected as well. Bizarre coincidence or an inside job? We'll let the conspiracy theorists make the call.

According to Cars UK, rumors of BMW bidding for De Tomaso has been circulating for a while now. Industry observers suggest that BMW is likely looking for a new premium brand to add to its portfolio. Already the parent company for MINI and Rolls-Royce, De Tomaso might be just the marque for BMW to properly challenge the supercar offerings from VW Group, including Porsche, Lamborghini, and Bugatti.

According to an Italian Union spokesperson, the Italy Industry Minister confirmed that discussions are being held with BMW regarding proposals of a De Tomaso brand acquisition. Also involved in the discussion are other Italian partners that hold interest in some of De Tomaso's assets.

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While it's always exciting to root for the comeback kid, what exactly will BMW do with a supercar brand when it has cancelled its own BMW M1 supercar concept?

Would a halo platform shared between BMW and the De Tomaso supercar brand prove to be more cost effective? What if a contemporary BMW M1 was built alongside a De Tomaso Mangusta? Remember to share your thoughts in the comment section below!

[Source: Cars UK]