For decades, automotive engineers have harbored the ambition to translate motorsport technology into road-legal vehicles. Mercedes-AMG has now elevated this aspiration to its zenith with the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE. Unveiled at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt as a celebratory centerpiece for AMG’s 50th anniversary, this two-seater supersports show car achieves a groundbreaking feat: it brings cutting-edge, efficient Formula 1 hybrid technology from the racetrack to public roads, almost unmodified. This high-performance hybrid marvel generates over 1,000 horsepower and surpasses speeds of 217 mph (350 km/h). The show car masterfully blends unparalleled racetrack performance with the suitability of Formula 1 hybrid technology for everyday driving, setting a new global benchmark in efficiency. Mercedes-AMG assumes overall responsibility for Project ONE, with intensive development conducted in collaboration with Formula 1 experts at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula 1 team in Brackley. Alongside the AMG GT Concept four-door coupe, the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE offers a glimpse into the future performance-hybrid drive strategy of Mercedes-Benz’s sports car division.
The pursuit of road-legal motorsport technology has been a long-standing engineering dream. Mercedes-AMG is now realizing this vision at the highest echelon. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, emphasizes, “Motorsport is not merely an end goal for us. In the face of fierce competition, we develop technologies that subsequently benefit our production vehicles. We are leveraging our experiences and triumphs from three constructors’ and drivers’ world championships to introduce Formula 1 technology to the road for the first time in the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE.”
Ola Källenius, Member of the Daimler AG Board of Management responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, adds, “The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE is the inaugural Formula 1 car to receive road homologation. Our highly efficient hybrid system originates from motor racing, and the electrically driven front axle creates an enthralling combination of performance and efficiency. Boasting a system output exceeding 1,000 hp and a top speed beyond 217 mph (350 km/h), this hypercar’s performance is as breathtaking as its aesthetics.”
This concept car provides concrete previews of the forthcoming production model. Tobias Moers, Head of Management at Mercedes-AMG GmbH, states, “This hypercar represents our most ambitious undertaking to date. It marks another milestone in the successful, strategic evolution of Mercedes-AMG into a performance and sports car brand. Project ONE elevates the technological feasibility threshold and, through its fusion of efficiency and performance, establishes an absolute benchmark. Simultaneously, Project ONE offers a perspective on how AMG will define driving performance in the years ahead.”
Powertrain: A Formula 1 Heart Beat
The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE’s high-performance plug-in hybrid drive system is a direct descendant of Formula 1 technology, developed in close partnership with the motorsport specialists at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth. It comprises a highly integrated and intelligently networked unit featuring a hybrid, turbocharged combustion engine and a total of four electric motors. One electric motor is integrated into the turbocharger, another is mounted directly on the combustion engine with a connection to the crankcase, and the remaining two power the front wheels.
The 1.6-liter V6 hybrid gasoline engine, complete with direct injection and electrically assisted single turbocharging, is directly derived from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 racing car. Spur gears drive the four overhead camshafts, and pneumatic valve springs replace mechanical valve springs to enable high engine speeds. Positioned mid-engine (ahead of the rear axle), the engine can effortlessly reach 11,000 rpm, a figure unprecedented for a road-going vehicle. For enhanced durability and compatibility with commercially available “Super Plus” gasoline instead of racing fuel, the maximum engine speed is deliberately set below the F1 engine speed limit. The electric motors on the front axle are equally impressive, achieving rotor revolutions up to 50,000 rpm, far surpassing the current state-of-the-art speed of 20,000 rpm.
This exceptionally high-revving engine is further augmented by a cutting-edge turbocharger. The exhaust gas and compressor turbines are physically separated and positioned optimally relative to the exhaust and intake sides of the V6 engine, connected by a shaft. This shaft incorporates an electric motor producing approximately 90 kW, which, depending on operational conditions, electrically drives the compressor turbine up to 100,000 rpm – for instance, during initial acceleration or under load variations. In Formula 1 nomenclature, this unit is designated MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit Heat).
Lightning-Quick Response: Surpassing Naturally Aspirated V8s
The primary advantage of this sophisticated engine configuration lies in the complete elimination of turbo lag – the delayed response to accelerator inputs caused by the inertia of conventional turbochargers. Throttle response is significantly enhanced, becoming even quicker than that of a naturally aspirated V8 engine. The electric turbocharger offers an additional benefit: it harnesses surplus energy from the exhaust system to generate electricity. This electricity is either stored in the high-voltage lithium-ion battery as part of energy recuperation or channeled to an auxiliary electric motor for supplementary drive power. This additional motor, producing 120 kW, is directly integrated with the engine and linked to the crankshaft via a spur gear (MGU-K = Motor Generator Unit Kinetic) – another technology adopted from Formula 1 to ensure peak efficiency and performance.
Innovative All-Wheel Drive with Electrically Driven Front Axle
Further enhancing performance are two 120 kW electric motors located at the front axle. Each motor is connected to a front wheel via a reduction gear. This fully electrically driven front axle enables individual acceleration and braking of each front wheel, facilitating selective torque distribution (torque vectoring) for exceptional vehicle dynamics. Under typical daily driving conditions, these axle motors allow for an estimated recuperation of up to 80 percent of braking energy. This recovered energy is stored in the battery, extending the electric driving range. Each electric motor is governed by its own dedicated power electronics module, positioned in close proximity to the motors within the vehicle floor assembly.
Thermal Efficiency: Setting New Benchmarks
The combustion engine, combined with the electric turbocharger (MGU-H) and crankshaft-mounted electric motor (MGU-K), achieves a thermal efficiency exceeding 40 percent. This represents an unprecedented peak value for series production vehicles, underscoring the drive system’s leadership in efficiency. The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE show car extracts significantly more drive energy from each liter of fuel compared to conventional automobiles, resulting in both economy and potent performance. For comparison, conventional series production engines typically exhibit thermodynamic efficiency in the range of 33 to 38 percent.
Technical Data Overview
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