The Mercedes-AMG One: the hypercar that almost never happened

Nearly everything has already been said about the Mercedes-AMG One - yet the more we learn about this hypercar, the clearer it becomes just how vast the challenge of bringing it to life really was.

Built around technology taken straight from Mercedes’ 2016 Formula 1 championship-winning single-seater, the Mercedes-AMG One stands as the culmination of years of development, inventive solutions and no small amount of daring.

At one point, it genuinely seemed impossible to make it happen. But AMG’s engineers refused to give up. The outcome? One of the most significant automotive projects of the 21st century - which we were able to see first-hand in Porto, at Sociedade Comercial C. Santos’ premises.

This is not simply another limited-run special model - it is the most expensive Mercedes ever sold in Portugal, and a programme that pushed Mercedes-AMG’s engineers into entirely new territory.

A project that almost never happened

Even so, the birth of this car was anything but smooth, turning into a true technical and… financial nightmare. We will come back to that, but first it is worth rewinding to 2017 and the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, the stage Mercedes-AMG chose to reveal the Project One.

That was the name given by the Affalterbach brand to a prototype with a very straightforward goal: to put on the road the same engine used by AMG’s Formula 1 cars.

Needless to say, the unveiling made waves and set the benchmark for what the next level of hypercars could be. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the years that followed brought little to no news about the Project One.

Only five years later, in 2022, the production version was finally revealed - and, as we now know, it could quite easily never have made it to market at all. Emissions compliance, engine calibration, software… there was almost everything to deal with.

That should hardly be surprising. After all, this is an engine that typically needs a 20-engineer crew just to operate. Here, however, it also has to deliver the reliability expected of a production car. That achievement alone is a major victory for the entire development team.

Dream numbers

Speaking of the engine, it is the heart of the whole machine: the 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 is essentially the same unit Mercedes-AMG ran in the 2016 Formula 1 season, although here it is paired with four electric motors - two on the front axle, one directly on the crankshaft and another on the turbocharger.

To grasp just how complex this power unit is, it is worth noting that each engine must be stripped down and inspected - at AMG’s workshops in Brixworth, United Kingdom - every 50,000 kilometres.

In the meantime, it is difficult to ask for more than what it delivers: 0–100 km/h in 2.9s, 0–200 km/h in 7s and 0–300 km/h in 15.6s. Top speed? Limited to 352 km/h.

To make all of that possible, the AMG One powertrain produces a maximum of 1063 hp, with the petrol V6 responsible for “just” 574 hp - not bad at all from only 1.6 litres.

Less remarkable is the all-electric range (yes, this is a plug-in hybrid), which is capped at 18 kilometres. But let’s be honest: is anyone buying an AMG One to drive it without waking up the V6? No. Of course not.

Mercedes-AMG One aerodynamics are everything

Just as important as the engine is the aerodynamic work carried out by Mercedes-AMG’s engineers. Thanks to active aerodynamics, the AMG One’s body can adapt instantly: when maximum downforce is needed to attack corners, the flaps in the wheel-arch vents open and work alongside the huge rear wing; on the straights, all these appendages retract to reduce drag as much as possible.

On top of that, and depending on the chosen driving mode, the ride height can drop by 37 mm at the front and 30 mm at the rear. In its most aggressive aerodynamic set-up, the AMG One can generate more than 1,000 kg of downforce.

From the engine to the aerodynamics, via a simple cabin trimmed in Alcantara and carbon fibre - not forgetting the carbon-ceramic braking system, the complex torque-vectoring set-up and even the race-derived clutch - everything in this AMG One was designed with performance in mind.

It is enough to remember that the AMG One is currently the fastest production car around the Nürburgring, with a time of 6min29,09s.

Only 275 units

And, of course, as you would expect, the Mercedes-AMG One’s price matches what it can do: €2.5 million, before taxes. Just 275 units will be built, and every one of them was sold even before the car was officially announced.

That says a great deal about what this hypercar represents. Whoever buys one is not merely taking home a car - they are securing a genuine piece of history. Given today’s landscape, it is hard to imagine we will see another project like this in the future.