Production will begin after the concept has been in existence for five years.
The original 2013 AMG SLS Electric Drive, a low-volume model that featured four e-motors but no combustion engine, was the first attempt at electrified performance. The “E Performance” umbrella is introducing a new generation of PHEVs and EV sports cars, starting with the AMG GT63 S E Performance.
In the coming months, the next-generation will get a charging port. But the One hypercar will be the most anticipated. The concept was presented at IAA Frankfurt in September 2017. However, AMG had to postpone customer deliveries multiple times. The three-pointed star has taught Autocar that production will begin in the middle of next years.
We don’t have any additional information, but we know that all 275 cars were sold long ago to wealthy buyers who wanted to experience the best AMG engineering. The $2-million plus One will feature an all-wheel-drive beast with four electric motors, a turbo V6 and an adaption of the 2017 Mercedes F1 championship winning engine.
Two e-motors drive the front wheels. One will be integrated into the turbocharger and one in the turbocharger. The fourth will sit directly on top of the combustion engine via a link to its crankcase. AMG had promised that the Project One would run 0-60 mph (200 km/h), in six seconds, and reach a top speed of 217 mph (355 km/h).
The V6 mid-mounted revs up to 11,000 RPM, which is a decrease of 4,000 rpm when compared to the F1-spec powertrain. AMG acknowledged that it had problems reaching idle speeds of 1,200 rpm. This was in contrast to the Formula 1 engine’s 5, 000 rpm.
The production version will be identical to the concept. It will feature a pure-electric mode. In the case of Project One, it offered 16 miles (25 km) of range using the lithium-ion battery. Frankfurt’s showcar was equipped with an eight-speed auto transmission and a modified combustion engine that can take premium fuel.
AMG had issues with the engine’s rpm for street-legal cars. AMG also had noise problems with its V6 because it was too loud to be used in production vehicles. Reliability was a concern when adapting the F1-spec powertrain for the road version. This will mean that the engine must be rebuilt once every 31068 miles (50,000 km). We can’t see many hypercar owners driving it extensively as the majority of Ones will be kept in a climate-controlled garage.
The One could be the fastest production car on the Nurburgring when it arrives in production form. AMG claimed that it could set the record in 2018. This would be remarkable considering that the track-only Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, driven by Timo Bernhard, set a phenomenal lap time of 5:19.55 seconds in June 2018, with an average speed at 145.3 mph (2233.8 km/h).