The Mercedes-AMG One (R50, stylized as ONE) is an upcoming limited-production plug-in hybrid sports car manufactured by Mercedes-AMG, featuring Formula One-derived technology.Since the birth of Formula 1, engineers have been dreaming of bringing the supreme technology to the streets. The two-seater Mercedes-AMG Project ONE will transfer the latest and most efficient Formula 1 hybrid technology almost one to one from the track to the street for the first time. The performance hybrid will produce over 1,000 horsepower at a maximum speed of over 350 km/h. It was unveiled at the 2017 International Motor Show Germany by Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 driver Sir Lewis Hamilton and Head of Mercedes-Benz Dieter Zetsche. Mercedes-AMG received orders for four times the production amount, but have stated that production will not be increased from the planned 275 units.
The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE will combine stunning racetrack performance and practical Formula 1 hybrid technology with exemplary efficiency. It is not just a tribute to our success in motorsports, but also a strong statement on our way to the ‘Future of Driving Performance’. AMG unveiled the concept version of the ONE, called the Project One, with nearly identical specifications to the production version. The production ONE will be evaluated on their performance, durability, and ability in Mercedes-Benz’s proving grounds and on racing circuits. The head of Mercedes-AMG, Tobias Moers states that when “the time is right”, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team driver and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has worked on the development of the car, will test the prototypes. From the collaborative minds of Mercedes-AMG and the Petronas Motorsport team, it features a highly-integrated powertrain with a turbocharged combustion engine and four independent electric motors: one for each front wheel, one linked to the crankcase, and one in the turbocharger itself.
The components of the high-performance plug-in hybrid drive system EQ Power+ in the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE are based directly on Formula 1 and were realised in close collaboration with the motorsports experts at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth. It will involve a highly integrated and intelligently networked unit from the 1.6-liter V6 hybrid petrol engine with a total of four electric motors – one has been integrated into the turbocharger, another has been installed directly on the combustion engine with a link to the crankcase and the two remaining motors drive the front wheels. This results in over 1,000 horsepower and a blistering top speed of 217 mph. The front axle electric motors are capable of 50,000 rpm alone, and selective torque distribution allows for extra high levels of vehicle dynamics. This, combined with the Race Start function and the elimination of turbo lag, allows the Mercedes-AMG ONE to go from zero to 124 mph in under six seconds.
While the power and handling is unrivaled, the efficiency of the Mercedes-AMG ONE is equally impressive. An EQ Power+ hybrid drive system allows for multiple driving modes, from purely electric to highly dynamic, and the regenerative brake system recoups up to 80% of braking energy. The end result is optimum output and efficiency. Visually, the Mercedes-AMG ONE evokes the premium class of motorsport with muscular proportions, numerous air inlets, and forged aluminum wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The ONE has wheels made of aluminium alloy and carbon fibre with diameters of 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear with centre-lock wheel nuts. The tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s with codes of 285/35 ZR 19 for the front and 335/30 ZR 20 for the rear. The brakes are ventilated carbon-ceramic discs. The interior is radically minimal, with lightweight bucket seats and a Formula 1 steering wheel. But it’s the complete package that resonates, pushing the limit of what’s technologically feasible, and opening a new chapter in the history of Mercedes-Benz.
