BMW makes some of the best engines in the business so it comes as little surprise the CEO of Daimler, Dieter Zetsche, is open to jointly developing new engines with the Munich-based rival. In a recent interview, Zetsche revealed that he would be open to a partnership if it made financial sense.

Speaking with Germany’s Der Spiegel, Zetsche referred to the Porsche Cayenne SUV and its success with using a Volkswagen engine. BMW is not the only carmaker on Daimler’s list of potential partners. According to the report, Daimler is already in talks with a number of other companies but no final decision has been made yet.

One thing Zetsche stressed was that he had no plans for a takeover or merger. We suspect he’s learnt his lesson from the failed dealings with Chrysler. Earlier reports suggested BMW was also keen to partner with Daimler as well, and there are rumors that a new SUV variant of the Mini could be co-developed with a similar off-road A-class.