The Mercedes-AMG One is (really) here TopGear

We almost waited. Five years after the presentation of a concept at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes ended up lifting the veil on Wednesday on the production version of its hypercar, the AMG One. The time for engineers to tear their hair out to integrate a Formula 1 engine into a car homologated for the road.

Because for once, it’s not a figure of speech: the AMG One takes over the V6 1.6 turbo hybrid of Lewis Hamilton’s single-seater. Finally, the one from the time when Lewis Hamilton’s single-seater was the scarecrow of the paddock…

AMG worked closely with the F1 team to develop this combination of a turbocharged heat engine and four electric motors: one to power the turbo, one directly on the crankshaft and one to drive each front wheel. Obviously in the central rear position, the V6 1.6 turbo runs faster than an atmo V8 thanks to its F1 genes (electrified turbo, pneumatic valve springs, etc.), ie 11,000 rpm. Not quite as high as the V12 atmo of a GMA T.50 or an Aston Martin Valkyrie, but we’re not going to be choosy… Mercedes has restricted its V6 at this speed to preserve its reliability in road use : no question of going for the 15,000 rpm of an F1. It is an unprecedented robotic box with a four-disc carbon clutch which is responsible for transmitting the torque to the rear wheels.

When all the engines go, the Mercedes-AMG One develops no less than 1,063 hp. The couple ? Impossible to quantify “due to the complexity of the powertrain,” Mercedes says in the spec sheet. Sorry, the One is too complex for your poor mortal mind.

On the other hand, it is fast enough to liquefy your brain. Mercedes announces a 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 s, a 0 to 200 km/h in 7 s, a 0 to 300 km/h in 15.6 s and a top speed of 352 km/h. A modest Ferrari SF90 does better on 0 to 100 and 0 to 200 at a quarter of the price? Maybe, but despite her name (that of the 2019 Ferrari single-seater), she doesn’t have an F1 heart. It must be said that the Mercedes, despite its carbon monocoque and tiny thermal displacement, still weighs 1,695 kg.

Front and rear, the aluminum chassis uses five-link suspensions and transversely-mounted adjustable pushrods to promote “very quick directional changes. The damping is of course adaptive via Comfort (yes, yes), Sport and Sport+ modes, the latter only being accessible in the context of Race Plus and Strat 2 driving modes.

These modes also act on ride height, active aerodynamics, torque vectoring thanks to electric motors on the front wheels, ABS and three-level ESP. It will probably be better to wait a bit to get used to the 1,063 hp before starting to remove the guardrails.

Even before switching on the ignition, you can dwell on the bestial look of the One, even if you’ve been around for five years. “Muscular”, according to AMG, and we can only approve. 4.76 m long, 2.01 m long and only 1.26 m high, with a wasp waist to optimize aerodynamic efficiency. The assembly would apparently generate support from 50 km/h… Perfect for fetching bread. Squint a bit and you’ll also see the reincarnation of the CLK GTR Strassenversion from the 90s.

On board, it’s… uncluttered. Two fixed buckets (you adjust the pedals and the steering wheel), an F1-type steering wheel, a 10-inch screen for the instrumentation and another in the middle for the infotainment. The central rearview mirror is also a screen linked to a camera, and there is raw carbon all over the place for the “box box” atmosphere.

“The immense technical challenges to overcome to adapt a modern F1 engine to road use have undeniably pushed us to our limits”, explains AMG boss Philipp Schiemer, who took over the project initially carried out by the former CEO of AMG Tobias Moers. “During the development period, many probably thought that the project would be impossible to carry out. However, the Affalterbach and UK teams never gave up and believed in themselves. Putting such a hypercar on the road is certainly unique. »

The F1 for the road from AMG is therefore finally here, its 275 copies having all found takers a long time ago. We’re just waiting for the Aston Martin Valkyrie for the game of the decade…