Mercedes-AMG Project One aims for ‘Ring lap record

It is ‘reasonable to speculate’ that the Mercedes-AMG Project One will be gunning for the outright lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, said AMG chief Tobias Moers. It is currently held by the late Stefan Bellof who set the bar at six minutes and 11.1 seconds while qualifying for the 1983 Nurburgring 1000 km race. Bellof’s quickest lap during the race itself was six minutes and 25.9 seconds.

The current production car record around the ‘Green Hell’ stands at six minutes 47 seconds, attained by the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. The turbocharged flat-six Porsche deploys its 700 hp and 750 Nm of torque through its rear wheels only, while the Project One is powered by a derivative of its Formula 1 hybrid power unit producing over 1,000 hp in total system output, including a pair of 120 kW electric motors on the front axle.

Among the challenges faced in the task of surpassing the lap record would be to find the right driver with which to accomplish the feat, Moers said. On a more technical front, the Project One will be aided by downforce totalling approximately half the weight of the car.

Moers also confirmed to Autocar that the Project One will weight between 1,300 and 1,400 kg, therefore with a mid-point of 1,350 kg, downforce can be estimated at 675 kg. This is less than the McLaren’s Senna‘s claim downforce figure of 800 kg, though the British entry does without driveline electrification and at 789 hp, is slightly less powerful as a result.

The 1,000 hp output quoted for the Project One is merely what the 1.6 litre V6 turbo hybrid power unit is producing on the engine dyno at the moment, and that its eventual output figure will be beyond that figure, said Moers.

According to Mercedes High Performance Powertrains division chief Andy Cowell, the greatest challenges with the engine involve emissions, and persuading an engine of Formula 1 origin “to start at the press of a button, in all weather conditions, regardless of how long it’s been left (alone).”

While the engine will be produced in Brixworth, the Formula 1 team will be involved with the road car project mostly on a consultancy basis, though most of the Project One’s key components will be manufactured in the United Kingdom. This includes the eight-speed robotised manual gearbox by Xtrac, as well as the central tub and bodywork which will come from a yet-to-be-named supplier.

GALLERY: Mercedes-AMG Project One

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