The Mercedes-AMG Project One debuted at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show by Dieter Zetsche and Lewis Hamilton and was set to be released in 2019. However, strict emissions regulations prevented it from doing so. Five years later, AMG took the chance to launch Mercedes-AMG One on the 55th anniversary of the foundation stone being laid for its first building, on June 1, 1967.
The then show car had an 11,000-rpm, 1.6-liter V6 engine, while the AMG One vehicle is built with an E Performance powertrain with the 1.6-liter V6 boosted by 121HP MGU-H and 161HP MGU-K turbochargers that churn out 1,049 system horsepower. It uses a new seven-speed manual transmission instead of the eight-speed manual in the previous iteration. Two extra motors, each with 16HP, operate the front wheels, giving torque vectoring and a completely variable all-wheel drive.
AMG has not released an actual rev limit and torque figure, but the engine output is marked as 566HP at 9,000rpm. They gave the car an 11.2-mile pure-electric range thanks to an 8.4-kWh liquid-cooled lithium battery similar to the one used in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 car. The charging port is on the back left of the car due to being a PHEV, opposite the petrol filling cap for the 14.5-gallon tank.
To activate the ICE, drivers need to push the red start button between the front seats. The exhaust after-treatment subsystem would then warm up to a working temperature. It includes four metal catalytic converters, two ceramic catalytic converters, and two gasoline particle filters.
The 3,737-pound AMG One reaches 62mph in 2.9 seconds and 186mph in only 15.6 seconds, with a maximum velocity of 219 mph.
Drivers are presented with six driving modes, including Race Safe, Race, Race Plus, EV, Individual, and Strat 2, as well as the ABS and a three-mode ESP, which come standard. Strat 2 optimizes the active aero to further firm up the suspension. The active aero allows for three more settings depending on the mode, Highway, Track, or Race DRS.
As for the exteriors, AMG One sits on 10-spoke, 19-inch forged aluminum center-lock wheels in front and 20-inch wheels at the back. Both are hidden behind carbon covers and are home to a carbon-ceramic braking system that has six-piston fixed calipers in front, and four-piston clamps in the back.
Inside, the seats are able to recline up to 30 degrees, and we can see an electrically adjustable steering wheel plus an 11-position pedal box to keep the driver comfortable during the journey.
The public will have a first look at the coupe at this month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Customer deliveries are expected before the year ends. The announced production run of 275 examples is now sold out with a base price pegged around $2.75 million.
