A hybrid powertrain. 1.6-liter engine pushing more than 1,000 horsepower. 218 MPH top speed. $2.4 million price tag. These are all stuff Mercedes-AMG assured when it first announced the Project ONE earlier this year.
AMG has actually put the “hype” in hypercar, giving us a new teaser every month to wonder about, but the wait is finally over—and the gossips are true.
The Project ONE was officially revealed in all its glory on Monday, and will be on exhibit at the Frankfurt Motor Show starting September 14. Mercedes says this is the first “Formula 1” car approved for road use, and says it has the technology and performance to confirm it.
The Project ONE is powered by 4 electric motors (one of which drives the turbocharger) in combination with a 1.6-liter V-6 mounted at the back the of rear seats, pushing power to all four wheels. The plug-in hybrid system has been lifted right out of a Formula 1 car, and features a complex 8-speed “manual” gearbox permitting for automatic cruising or paddle-shifting.
Thanks in part to pneumatic valve springs, the engine revs to an F1-rivaling 11,000 RPM, and AMG says the car will gather speed to 112 MPH in under 6 seconds.
The ‘ONE has been optimized for street use, exhibiting Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires (19″ in the front, 20″ in the rear), and is intended to be used with widely-available premium gas, not racing fuel.
