We’re hearing rumours via Top Gear that Mercedes-AMG is readying a potential bid to buy iconic Italian motorcycle maker MV Augusta. If you remember, the car manufacturer lost Ducati to Audi in 2012, despite having a longstanding relationship with the Bologna-based bike brand.

Though they were pretty close, Mercedes-AMG lost Ducati to Audi in 2012. Is this payback time?

MV Agusta has, in fact, changed hands numerous times over the past two decades; to Cagiva in 1999; to Lotus parent Proton in 2004; to a finance company in 2005; to Harley Davidson in 2008; and then finally to Claudio Castiglione, the architect of Ducati’s great renaissance, in 2010. Of course, the latter passed away a year later, but his holding company now owns and runs MV Augusta. No details of the deal have yet been given, but AMG executives have apparently revealed to Top Gear that they are already deep into exploring the possibilities of a tie-up. What do you think?