Mercedes-AMG hasn’t said much about the Project One
since they unveiled a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. That’s
changing today as the automaker has released pictures of a prototype undergoing
testing. Looking instantly recognizable, the prototype remains pretty faithful
to the concept even in its early form. There are a handful of differences, but
minor changes can likely be chalked up to its prototype status.
In a short statement, Mercedes said they have been working
on the Project One very “intensively” behind closed doors for the past several
months. As a result, they have already logged hundreds of hours testing the
model and its various components.
Speaking of the latter, the car’s high-tech
powertrain has been subjected to the “toughest [virtual] race track tests” on
the dyno at the Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertain facility in Brixworth,
England. If that name sounds familiar, it should as it has been responsible for
building an assortment of Formula One engines over the years.
Following the successful completion of the dyno
tests, the powertrain was installed into a handful of prototypes. They have
been undergoing testing at a secret facility in England and will continue to do
so. However, Mercedes is getting ahead of spy photographers by releasing their
own pictures of the car as they noted the model will draw plenty of attention
thanks to its “characteristic F1 sound.”
Mercedes didn’t mention technical specifications,
but the concept had a plug-in hybrid powertrain which consisted of a
turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 engine and four electric motors. This setup enabled
the all-wheel drive hypercar to have over 986 hp and an
electric-only range of 25 km. The electric range might be
laughable, but that’s not the point. The car can rocket from 0-200
km/h in less than six seconds and hit a top speed in excess of 350
km/h.
