Mercedes-AMG’s crazy Formula One-inspired hypercar, the Project One, is set to make its public debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, according to a report by Automobile. Affalterbach’s flagship will utilise an engine derived directly from last year’s championship-winning F1 W06 Hybrid racer, plus an all-wheel drive hybrid powertrain to deliver – get this – a whopping 1,020 hp.
The car was already shown to select well-heeled individuals at the the La Reserve Hotel near Lake Geneva recently, with one collector, who has already submitted an order for one, saying that it is a “truly wild thing, extreme in every respect.”
It certainly is extreme under the skin, with the power figure made up by the 748 hp 1.6 litre turbocharged V6, as well as an additional 408 hp coming from not one, not two, but four electric motors. Those familiar with F1 cars will know that there are two motor-generator units connected to the petrol mill – the first, hooked up to the crankshaft, recuperates kinetic energy typically lost through braking, and is called the MGU-K (for kinetic).
The second one, mounted next to the turbocharger, is called MGU-H because it scavenges heat from the exhaust to drive the turbine. Where the road car will differ from Formula One is the use of twin electric motors at the front, which will likely be used for torque vectoring in a similar fashion to the new Honda NSX.
The engine won’t rev to the same stratospheric 15,000 rpm redline as the real racing car, but it will still reach 11,000 rpm – the electric motors will provide a boost of low-end torque in the interest of real-world drivability. They will also be capable of an all-electric range of 30 km, thanks to highly-specialised batteries; despite this, the carbon fibre construction will put the weight figure under 1,315 kg.
Pricing is set to hover around the €2.17 million (RM10.3 million) mark plus taxes. Even with the astronomical price tag, Mercedes-AMG is said to have already sold 225 out of its 250-275-unit allocation.
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Hmm… Sound like P1’s quality here, except that 1:1 is for power to weight ratio
Funny how the Holy Trinity is looking like old hat. Still, don’t suppose owners will much care as they can just buy this one too.