The Mercedes-AMG One hypercar has been officially revealed ahead of deliveries beginning later this year – and the company has confirmed it will make its dynamic public debut at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed on 23 to 26 June.
A car that brings Formula 1 hybrid engine technology to the road for the first time, the Mercedes-AMG One boasts a 1,063hp output from its 1.6-litre V6 engine – derived from exactly the same motor that sits behind Lewis Hamilton and George Russell – and four electric motors.
Impressively, it also officially averages 32.5mpg and emits less than 200g/km CO2.
The engine has been developed in partnership with the Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains F1 division in Brixworth, Northampton. The F1 division, based in Brackley, has also aided development of the One – making its British dynamic debut a fitting one.
“With the Mercedes-AMG One, we have more than pushed the envelope,” said the division’s chairman Phillipp Schiemer.
“The immense technical challenges of making a modern Formula 1 powertrain suitable for everyday road use have undoubtedly pushed us to our limits.
“Many had thought that the project would be impossible to implement. Nevertheless, the teams never gave up.”
Mercedes-AMG technical director Jochen Hermann added the project “was partly a curse and a blessing at the same time – but we have walked the stony path”.
F1 engine in a road car
The 1.6-litre V6 hybrid engine revs to a fruity 11,000rpm – although this is deliberately below the F1 rev limit, both for durability and to ensure it can use regular super plus pump fuel.
It has a high-tech turbocharger, with a split gas turbine and compressor, which are connected by a shaft, onto which a 122hp electric motor is mounted.
This motor actually drives the turbo before the exhaust gas flow takes over – which is why Mercedes-AMG calls the response “lightning-quick… faster than a naturally aspirated V8 engine”.
It has four electronically-heated exhaust catalytic converters, which help the engine comply with strict Euro 6 ‘real driving conditions’ emissions.
This strict test is a challenge for even the most mundane of humble hatchbacks: for a 1,063hp engine originally designed for F1 use to achieve it is little short of remarkable.
Plug-in hybrid technology gives a pure EV driving range of just over 11 miles. It also helps the Mercedes-AMG One deliver its impressive fuel economy and low test cycle emissions.
As for performance, 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds is claimed, with 0-124mph in 7.0 seconds. The top speed is limited to 219mph – which still makes it the fastest Mercedes-AMG road car ever built.
Here’s to seeing this incredible car in action for the first time on the famous Goodwood hill later this month.
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