After an important delay, Mercedes-Benz is finally reaching out the final stages of development for the AMG Project One hypercar. The final phase of development already started and several pre-production models are now practicing their fast laps at the company’s proving ground and technology center at Immendingen.
Testing has now largely transitioned from the static test stands to concentrate on test tracks. For the first time, project leaders have also authorized testing of the comprehensively electrified and highly complex hybrid power unit with its full output of more than 1000 hp. The evocative and authentic sound of this exciting new power plant at full power can be heard in the accompanying video.
The adaptation of a complete Formula 1 drive unit for a road-legal hypercar is real. This adaption will result in new standards being set for performance in a road-going vehicle, and thus set a new milestone in automotive history for Mercedes-AMG. The Project One must deliver exceptionally in terms of everyday driving as well as its performance capabilities, and also must be able to drive in all-electric mode. In many aspects, such as noise level, the development team ventured into uncharted territory with this project, working with great tenacity and exceptional engineering expertise to find solutions that could be developed to production maturity.
Along with the dynamic test program and refinements to the car’s drivability, current development work is also focused on the Project ONE’s fully-functional active aerodynamics. The complex interplay between the various active components such as the louvers, the air outlets in the front fenders and the large rear spoiler is proving its effectiveness outside the wind tunnel, as a means of delivering the car’s exceptional handling dynamics.
In parallel with the extensive dynamic testing underway with Project ONE vehicles on the track, development work also continues on this extraordinary hybrid vehicle from Mercedes-AMG at the company’s base in Affalterbach. The various vehicle systems are meticulously put through their paces on engine test beds and in the in-house simulator. The next step in this extensive program of testing and development is already clear: the performance of the Project ONE will soon be tested on the north loop of the Nürburgring.
