Finally, what we have been waiting for has arrived. Five and a half years after Mercedes-Benz first said it would bring its Formula 1 engine into a road-legal car.
And, yes, the Mercedes-AMG One is still alive and living up to all the promises Mercedes made. The point is, there is a Formula 1 engine in this vehicle and it is road legal. The engine packs a combined 1,049 horsepower (782 kilowatts) from its hybrid powertrain.
Finally, what we have been waiting for has arrived. Five and a half years after Mercedes-Benz first said it would bring its Formula 1 engine into a road-legal car.
And, yes, the Mercedes-AMG One is still alive and living up to all the promises Mercedes made. The point is, there is a Formula 1 engine in this vehicle and it is road legal. The engine packs a combined 1,049 horsepower (782 kilowatts) from its hybrid powertrain.
"With the Mercedes-AMG One, we have pushed the limits. The huge technical challenge of making a modern Formula 1 powertrain suitable for everyday use on the road has undoubtedly pushed us to our limits," said Philipp Schiemer, Chairman of The Management Board for Mercedes-AMG.
"Many thought this project was impossible to implement. However, the team in Affalterbach and England never gave up and believed in themselves. I have great respect for all the participants and I am proud of that," he said.
"With the Mercedes-AMG One, we have pushed the limits. The huge technical challenge of making a modern Formula 1 powertrain suitable for everyday use on the road has undoubtedly pushed us to our limits," said Philipp Schiemer, Chairman of The Management Board for Mercedes-AMG.
"Many thought this project was impossible to implement. However, the team in Affalterbach and England never gave up and believed in themselves. I have great respect for all the participants and I am proud of that," he said.
F1 Engines in Street Cars
The heart of the AMG One is undoubtedly its engine. Since it was first announced in 2017, it has been known that Mercedes is using an F1 engine for the AMG One.
It uses a 1.6-liter V6 internal combustion engine that has an incredible 11,000 rpm redline, and uses a single turbocharger with electric assistance.
The engine uses a double overhead camshaft, air spring valves, directional injection and a complex exhaust gas cleaning system to produce 566 hp (422 kW) on its own, and meets Euro 6 emissions standards.
Four electric motors combine to give the One a 1,049-hp overall rating and all-wheel-drive capability. Two motors are located up front, one on each wheel producing a combined 322 hp.
The third motor was fitted with a petrol engine, sending 161 hp (120 kW) to the crankshaft. The fourth motor is linked to a high-tech turbocharger, which Mercedes-AMG says adds 121 hp (90 kW) to the mix.
The motor can also recover energy from the turbo as the exhaust gases spin it, which can be sent elsewhere.
Electric Car with Surprising Performance
In addition to the engine, Mercedes engineers spent a lot of time on the One's lithium-ion battery. Being a plug-in hybrid, it doesn't carry as many batteries as you'd find in a pure EV – its total capacity is just 8.4 kWh.
But keeping them cool is crucial for optimal performance, leading Mercedes to use a complex liquid cooling system for each battery. This also allows automakers to keep battery weight low.
The result is a car with more than 1,000 combined hp that maintains a battery temperature of around 45 degrees Celsius. He can walk 11.2 miles (18 km) on electricity alone, and weighs about 3,730 pounds (1,695 kilograms).
The One can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, utilizing the AMG 4Matic+ all-wheel drive system and a new seven-speed automated manual transmission developed specifically for hypercars.
Perhaps even more impressive is the record from 0-200 km/h in just 7 seconds. AMG One can be accelerated to 219 mph, aka 352 km/hour.
Suspension and Body
The One's monocoque chassis with push-rod suspension is also designed for top performance. You'll find heavy use of aluminum under the body, with five arms and two adjustable supports at the front and rear.
The struts are mounted transversely and effectively replace traditional stabilizer bars to reduce body roll. Driving submodes can adjust the suspension to Comfort, Sport, or Sport+.
Torque vectoring with the AWD system also comes in different flavors depending on the selected driving mode.
The body greatly influences the aerodynamics of the vehicle. This produces negative lift at speeds above 31 mph, although Mercedes is shy about revealing how much downforce is available.
Maybe that's because it depends on the drive mode selected, as the One is awash with active aero components. You'll find an active spoiler on the front diffuser, ventilation slots on the front wheel arches, and of course the rear wing.
In the Race Plus and Strat2 programs under Track mode, Mercedes says downforce is five times higher than in normal road mode. The third mode, called Race DRS, is a low mode to reach top speed.
Interior and Features
The Formula 1 touch is not limited to the engine or suspension. Inside the AMG One, you'll find F1-style seats that provide a straight orientation to your feet.
The driver grips a rectangular F1-style steering wheel, with two 10-inch digital screens standing out from the dashboard.
However, it's not quite F1, as you'll find sweet climate control vents and speaker grilles that blend seamlessly with the carbon fiber/leather areas.
Butterfly doors are equipped with power windows. Air conditioning keeps the driver and passengers cool. And the camera replaces the traditional rearview mirror.
On the outside, the AMG One wears special ten-spoke alloy wheels with nine-spoke forged magnesium wheels as an option and is wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 M01 tires.
The tires and rims were developed specifically for the hypercar, and are equipped with six-piston calipers on 15.6-inch carbon-ceramic disc brakes at the front (four-piston calipers with 15-inch discs are at the rear).
The Mercedes-AMG One will make its public debut at the end of June at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Furthermore, Mercedes only plans to produce 275 AMG Ones, which are estimated to cost up to 2 million US dollars (around Rp. 28.9 billion at the current exchange rate). This price is of course excluding taxes and other fees.
