The tortured development of the AMG One is over.
Mercedes-AMG has unveiled its Formula 1 car for the road in production guise, and it’s every bit as wild as you’d hope.
First up, the numbers:
- The Mercedes-AMG One pumps out 782kW of power
- That output is from four electric motors (450kW) and a 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid V6 (422kW)
- One of those motors is an F1-style MGU-K mounted to the crankshaft (120kW)
- Two of those motors are mounted to the front axle (120kW each, 240kW combined)
- One of those motors is mounted to the turbocharger to slash lag (90kW)
- Top speed is 352km/h (electrically limited)
- Electric range from the 8.4kWh battery is 18km
Managing those outputs is a hydraulic seven-speed automated manual transmission, which can be controlled with paddles mounted behind the wheel.
With a claimed kerb weight of 1695kg, the 100km/h sprint takes a claimed 2.9 seconds, the 200km/h sprint takes 7.0 seconds, and the 300km/h sprint flies by in 15.6 seconds.
Initially meant to launch in 2019, the One has been held back by the challenge of making a powertrain derived from F1 work on the road, and meet ever-tightening emissions standards.
The One is built around a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis, while the rear suspension is mounted directly to the powertrain as is the case in Formula 1 – or a Ferrari F50, another road car with its origins firmly in the F1 paddock.
Roll stiffness and damping can be adjusted independently of lift stiffness and damping thanks to the design, and Mercedes-AMG says “overall tuning of springs and dampers has been designed for perfectly balanced, easily controllable and highly dynamic handling”.
Unlike Lewis Hamilton’s weekend car, the One features ABS standard. The ESP system has three modes, including a sport mode designed to allow a bit of slip without loosening the reins entirely. It can adjusted independently of the drive mode.
There are also nine stages of traction control through which you can toggle, something Mercedes-AMG has offered since the AMG GT R debuted.
As for the drive modes? The car defaults to Race Safe, which defaults to electric power unless the driver really buries their right foot, but the driver can flick through Race (constant V6 power to ensure the battery is always charged), and EV (self-explanatory) on the road.
At the track there’s Race Plus (active aero, 37mm lower front/30mm lower rear ride), Strat 2 (equivalent to F1 qualifying mode, with stiffer suspension and full power from all sources), and Individual.
Tasked with transferring the One’s prodigious outputs to the road are 285/35 R19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R M01 tyres up front, and 335/30 R20 versions of the same rubber down back.
The centre-lock wheels are a new development. They’re made of magnesium, and feature carbon covers with vanes designed to balance brake cooling and aerodynamics. Prominent louvres on the arches help reduce pressure at the crazy speeds we know the AMG One will hit.
Behind those wheel covers are 398mm front and 380mm rear carbon ceramic brakes.
The exterior doesn’t deviate too far from the template laid down by the Project One concept, but there have been detail changes to the aerodynamics.
Inside, the driver and passenger sit in fixed bucket seats faced with a minimalist dashboard. The driver is faced with a digital instrument binnacle, and a race-inspired wheel which telescopes out to compensate for the fact the seats don’t move. The pedal box is also adjustable through 11 positions.
You don’t get a central rear-view mirror, with the One instead relying on a rear-mounted camera.
