Mercedes-AMG One: F1 car for the road!
The Mercedes-AMG One is one of the most highly anticipated hypercars in the world, with the promise of what Mercedes-AMG has said will be a true F1 car for the road. With a true F1 engine shoehorned into the svelte body, the AMG One promises to be the poster car for a lot of enthusiasts around the world. Many before have tried to put an F1 engine into a road car, be it the Ferrari F50, the Porsche Carrera GT or the E60 BMW M5. But this is probably the closest we have got to the real deal.
The Mercedes-AMG One has the same 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid V6 as the Mercedes-AMG F1 car that is driven by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the F1 world championship. Although detuned for road use, the beastly power unit still manages to produce 1050bhp, allied to four of the hybrid systems from the F1 power unit. The engine produces 566bhp on its own, while the four electric motors combine to provide an additional 484bhp. The AMG One is also all-wheel-drive, which theoretically means it has more grip than the rear-wheel-drive F1 car! The motor revs to an unholy 11,000 RPM, and has torque vectoring built in. All this power is put down through a 7-speed automated manual transmission. There are six driving modes, and true to form, two of them are for track use only. Another one is an electric-only drive mode, in which the AMG One can drive for 18km. There is also a user-customisable individual mode.
Similar to the F1 car, this power unit is also one of the most efficient in the world, recovering more than 40 per cent of energy from the engine to generate more power. Mercedes-AMG has worked on the usability of the power unit, and made sure that an average user can actually drive the car without the need for a team of mechanics. With a weight figure of 1695kg, there is more than enough power for it to feel unnecessary.
In terms of design, one of the most striking features is that the Mercedes-AMG One has a single rear exhaust, just like an F1 car. Mercedes-AMG has worked hard to calibrate this exhaust system to the demands of a road car. The hypercar also features active aerodynamics, with flaps and wings all over the car able to be controlled via a computer. The body is a carbon fibre monocoque, similar to an F1 car. Also derived from the race track are the 10-spoke forged aluminium wheels that have a centre-locking lug nut. There is also a 9-spoke forged magnesium option. The tyres are massive, with a 335 section at the rear and 285 section at the front, able to handle all the fury of that special power unit.
The carbon fibre festooned interior gets a minimalist design, dominated by the rectangular F1-style steering wheel on which almost all the control buttons of the car are located, as well as the shift lights and the DRS activation system. There are also no mirrors, all instead replaced by cameras and screens, which should give this car more visibility than a usual supercar.
The Mercedes-AMG One will surely be one of the most important cars to ever pass through the annals of Mercedes-AMG history, and indeed in the history of the car. With a true “F1 car for the road” vibe, there is no doubt that this car represents a seminal moment. With the production version ready, it may not be surprising to know that all units are already sold out. We are happy to know that this exists, and that carmakers can always be counted on to do the impossible every once in a while.
