New Mercedes-AMG One plug-in hybrid hypercar: specs, price and pictures
Mercedes’ £2.4 million hybrid hypercar is the closest to thing you can get to a road-legal Formula 1 car, with the finalised version expected to be unveiled later towards the end of 2021
Among the flurry of plug-in hybrid supercars on their way from companies like Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren, is this: the Mercedes-AMG One, a distinctively styled and likely to be a distinctively sounding hypercar that can rev to 11,000rpm and pumps out 986bhp.
Mercedes-AMG’s rival to the equally ludicrous Aston Martin Valkyrie uses a hybrid powertrain that couples an F1-derived 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine with a total of four electric motors – one for each front wheel, another for the engine itself and one to spool the turbocharger faster and reduce lag.
The result, Mercedes says, is a four-wheel-drive hypercar that can reach a top speed of 217mph, hitting 0-124mph in less than six seconds on the way. While an official 0-62mph time has yet to be released, the figure is likely to be in the sub-three second range.
According to Mercedes, the One will be able to drive for about 15.5 miles on electric power alone. It'll also include a ‘Highly Dynamic’ mode that's said to use settings similar to those available to the F1 car in qualifying.
Styling-wise, there's no doubt that the One is a striking car even among the craziest of supercars being made today. However, those sharp looks aren’t just intended to be eye-catching. There are huge air vents in the front apron, aerodynamic flaps on the sides and an air intake on the roof – all needed to keep the engine cool and fed with air.
Meanwhile, the rear sports a huge diffuser and an ‘active’ spoiler. This can be retracted into the car’s body, but when it’s out, it can adopt two positions, one of which is a ‘Race Mode’ for maximum downforce.
The interior of the One is inspired to some degree by the cockpit of an F1 car, being described as “Formula 1 for two”. It’s easy to see why, with the steering wheel drawing heavily from those used in F1. It also features the paddles used for shifting the eight-speed transmission that the petrol engine sends its power to the rear wheels through. The cabin also has two deep, heavily bolstered bucket seats for the driver and passenger.
The dashboard includes two 10-inch displays. The first sits behind the steering wheel and the second is on the centre console, angled towards the driver. Finally, there’s a third screen connected to a camera at the back of the car that does the job of a rear-view mirror.
We have yet to see the final production version of the Mercedes-AMG One, but we expect the £2.4 million plug-in hybrid hypercar to be completed towards the end of 2021. The One is the latest electrified performance car to come out of AMG, which recently unveiled the 831bhp plug-in hybrid GT 63 S E Performance and the 751bhp EQS 53 4MATIC+ that’ll soon take on the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and Tesla Model S Plaid.
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