It’s not easy to put an F1 engine in a road car.
The Mercedes-AMG Project One It’s One these days, but we don’t think anyone can forget a 1,000-horsepower supercar with an F1 engine. Although it was announced nearly two years ago, we have yet to see any production models from Affalterbach. According to a new report by the German website Auto Motor Sport, the hypercar will not arrive until two years later.
Only One. . . Eventually:
What is the problem? It’s not easy to convert an F1 engine to street legal use, according to the report. This is likely to be a huge surprise to all, but it was something that surprised AMG engineers. An anonymous insider claims that engine specialists at AMG “underestimated” the task of casting the powerful 1.6-liter V6 for industrial duty.
They claim that the European sector has been subject to more stringent testing and emission regulations. Some automakers have had to reduce power or discontinue models due to the World Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure. Mercedes-AMG isn’t really able to afford that luxury. It promised its buyers a car with an F1 engine and at most 1,000 horsepower. We suspect that owners will keep the automaker’s promise, as only 275 examples of this model will be made and all will be sold.
The report discusses the unique requirements of an F1 engine, in addition to emissions. This was something we covered in an article in July. In short, you don’t just get in an F1 car and press the start button. F1 cars do not have a starter button. Instead, the engines are started with an external starter. First, the oil must be heated up. Then there is the durability of small engines spinning very fast. These 275 units will not be your daily driver, but they are reliable.
Mercedes-AMG should get everything in order sooner than expected. We would love to see this beast in action.