The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE, how bonkers can you get?

Mercedes has finally unveiled their wraps around their latest car derived from their Formula 1 hybrid technology. They call it the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE and it looks absolutely gorgeous. Mercedes has been on a roll lately especially when it comes to the design of their cars and this continues to show that they are upping their game in the looks department.

The Project ONE has over 1,000hp of power and can reach speeds of more than 350 kmh which is what a Formula 1 car normally does. The car is meant to combine both race track performance as well as to be used on a day-to-day basis. The Project ONE was fully realised by the boffins at Mercedes-AMG in collaboration with their Formula 1 expert counterparts in both Brixworth and Brackley.

“Motorsport is not an end in itself for us. Faced with intense competition, we develop technologies from which our production vehicles also subsequently benefit. We are drawing on our experiences and successes from three constructors’ and drivers’ world championships to bring Formula 1 technology to the road for the first time: in Mercedes-AMG Project ONE”, says Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

“The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE is the first Formula 1 car with MOT approval. Our highly efficient hybrid assembly stems from motor racing and the electrically powered front axle generates a fascinating mixture of performance and efficiency. With a system output of over 1,000 hp and a top speed beyond 350 km/h, this hypercar handles exactly as it looks: it takes your breath away”, Ola Källenius says, Member of the Daimler AG Board of Management responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

The concept car gives specific indications of what to expect from the upcoming production model. “The hypercar is the most ambitious project we have ever undertaken. It marks yet another pinnacle of the successful, strategic development of Mercedes-AMG towards a performance and sports car brand. Project ONE raises the bar in terms of what is currently technologically feasible and thanks to its combination of efficiency and performance it represents an absolute benchmark. At the same time, Project ONE provides an outlook on how AMG will define driving performance in the future”, Tobias Moers explains as the Head of Management at Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

The Project ONE is powered by a turbocharged 1.6L V6 engine and supplemented with 4 electric motors. One of the electric motors is integrated with the turbocharger, another has been installed directly on the combustion engine and the two remaining engines to drive the front wheels. How complicated is that! The plug-in hybrid system comes directly from the Formula 1 team. The engine sits in the middle of the car and can be revved up to 11,000 rpm. If you think that is a lot, it is and guess what, the electric motors powering the front can spin up to 50,000 rpm! Power is transferred to the rear wheels by an 8-speed manual transmission that has been entirely developed from scratch for the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE. It is activated hydraulically and can be operated in an automated mode or manually using the shift paddles.

Thanks to its electric motors, there is virtually almost no lag, it has a quick response which Mercedes says that is faster than a V8 NA engine. The electric turbocharger uses parts of the surplus energy from the exhaust system to generate electricity, and either store it in the high-voltage lithium-ion battery as part of recuperation or provides additional drive power by feeding it to an additional electric motor.

Since all wheels are powered, that means it has an all-wheel drive system. The fully electrically driven front axle allows individual acceleration and braking of each front wheel, and therefore selective torque distribution (torque vectoring) for particularly high levels of vehicle dynamics. With the axle motors, we estimate that up to 80 percent of the braking energy can also be optimally used for recuperation under everyday driving conditions. This energy is stored in the battery and is available for a longer electric range. Each electric motor is controlled by its own power electronics located in close proximity to the electric motors in the floor assembly.

The Project ONE is equipped with a 10-spoke forged aluminium wheel with a centre lock, similar to those of a race car. At the front, the wheels are 10.0 J x 19 dimensions and use 285/35 ZR 19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres which were exclusively developed for the hypercar and at the rear the vehicle features 12.0 J x 20 wheels running on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 335/30 ZR 20 tyres. In order to stop the 1,000 hp car, a lightweight ceramic high-performance compound braking system helps bring the car to a halt.

Let’s hope that the team can bring this awesome car to the road!