It’s no secret that the revival of the Maybach brand by Mercedes parent company Daimler has been a flop. Perhaps it’s because of how much the cars shared with their S-Class counterparts, but apart from the odd Russian oligarch, the world’s wealthiest folks have decided to stick with faithful British brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce when it comes to their ultra-luxury needs.

The ability of British brands to built true luxury cars has apparently not gone unnoticed by Daimler and according to a report by the Financial Times, Daimler may source Aston Martin to build the next generation of Maybach models.

In exchange, Aston Martin would reportedly get access to engine technology from Mercedes-Benz, something AM desperately needs as its 6.0-liter V12 engine (used in almost every vehicle it sells) is quickly becoming outdated.

A Daimler spokesman has denied the report, but did comment that the lines of communication between the two automakers is open. This comes as no surprise as Aston Martin’s Lagonda concept (which debuted at the Geneva Auto Show two years ago) was based on the Mercedes GL platform.

While still mostly a rumor, the story doesn’t have any obvious holes in it with Daimler eager to partner with other automakers (including recent agreements with Renault/Nissan/Infiniti), while Aston Martin is no doubt eager to find a large partner to offset costs, especially with rivals like Ferrari being owned by Fiat and Lamborghini by Volkswagen.