Mercedes debuted the Mercedes-AMG Project One concept — the ultimate road-legal, two-seat hypercar derived from Formula 1 engineering — back in 2017 at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. Now, almost five years later, the incredible AMG ONE is ready for production, just in time to celebrate AMG’s 55th anniversary this June.
Converting an F1 engine for production car use is no easy feat. After all, these units are designed for maximum performance for a relatively short timeframe, and the level of maintenance they require is insane. The final drivetrain of the Mercedes-AMG ONE is the exceptional E Performance hybrid drive with a 1.6-litre V6 engine and four electric motors, producing a total output of 1,063hp. While the engine itself is able rev to 11,000 rpm, it has been slightly limited for durability purposes.
The hypercar tears from a standstill to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds, while its top speed is capped at 352km/h. While the AMG ONE does seem like a Formula 1 car in road-car drag, there are also components that aren’t derived from the open-wheeled racer, namely the 7-speed automated manual gearbox and the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ fully variable all-wheel drive.
The final carbon-fibre body seen in the latest images thankfully doesn’t look much different from the silhouette of the debut concept, with aggressive aero parts such as rooftop air intake, vertical shark fin and spoiler lip, and two-section rear diffuser. We’re also finally able to have a detailed look at the interior, which features a Formula 1-style steering wheel with integrated controllers and LED shift display.
All 275 examples of the Mercedes-AMG ONE were spoken for well before this world premiere, despite the price tag of US$2.72 million.
