The Mercedes AMG Project One hypercar which has been teased ahead of its world premiere at 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show next week will have its top speed exceeding 350 kmph, confirms AMG’s head Tobias Moers.
From what we already know about the upcoming German hypercar, it’s essentially a road-going version of the brand’s immensely successful F1 machine. The teaser shows a radical two-seater silhouette and it’s not hard to imagine several aggressive aerodynamic elements all over the body.
The hybrid powertrain consists of electrically turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 petrol unit with a complex Energy Recovery System (ERS), just like the one found in Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes AMG W08 F1 car. The MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic) develops 136 hp and assists the IC engine in driving the rear wheels when required, through an 8-speed gearbox. The MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit – Heat) harnesses 80 KW from the engine’s otherwise wasted heat energy in order to electrically power the turbochargers.
The front axle is driven by a pair of electric motors, each supported by a pair of fixed ratio gearboxes. Electricity comes from Lithium-ion battery pack which is claimed to have 4 times the energy density compared to Mercedes’ F1 car. The overall power output is said to be around 1000 hp. Thanks to the effective use of ERS, the engine is claimed to have an impressive thermal efficiency of 43%.
The Mercedes AMG Project One employs F1-style pushrod suspension system all around and is expected to offer driving experience which is not very far from that of its track-bred sibling. The road-legal hypercar is confirmed to have a top speed in the excess of 350 kmph.
Mercedes AMG is expected to start assembling its flagship product at its Affalterbach HQ in the second of 2018 with deliveries slated to commence towards the end of the year. More details will be revealed at the motor show.
