Mercedes-AMG Project ONE
Hypercar Development Continues
Here’s an update that essentially only applies to 275 individuals on the planet. The ambitious Mercedes-AMG Project ONE hypercar has entered a new phase of testing and is now pounding around the build group’s testing facility in Immendingen, Germany. The goal of 1,000 hp from the car’s F1 derived hybrid power system has been met and cryptically, ‘development continues on the test bench and in the simulator.’
This is newsworthy due to the fact the $2.7m car was introduced with great fanfare in late 2017 and deliveries were slated for Spring 2020. The technical might of Mercedes and AMG has been wrestling with the realities of converting a full on F1 powerplant to be docile enough for street use and clean enough for the EPA.
The Project ONE’s silhouette all about aero efficiency, downforce and heat dissipation. Nevertheless, I feel the design is quite organic and attractive and thankfully lacks the overwrought fighter jet edginess of its Italian counterparts.
Engineers not sitting idle
One unique technical hurdle was remapping the electronics to allow the engine to idle at 1,000 rpm rather than the 4,000 rpm idle that Lewis Hamilton expected during the 2016 Formula One season. Other refinement issues have undoubtedly been challenging. It will all get worked out in due time and it won’t be too long before we see footage of pre-production cars attacking the fabled Nurburgring. Might there be a new production car record lap around the Ring in the works? Can’t wait to find out.
Power for the car is derived from a turbocharged 1.6 liter combustion engine assisted by 4 electric motors; one integrated into the turbocharger, a second linked to the crankcase and one each driving the front wheels. Extraordinary technology.
roy spencer/editor mercedesheritage.com
photography/daimler media