Mercedes-AMG One Is Now ‘Back On Track’ For a 2021 Release
F1-based hybrid hypercar AMG One is finally on its way.
In terms of power and speed, we’re living in the golden era of hypercars. But there is one caveat: Unlike automotive royalty from the past, fewer and fewer of the current crop have any true racing pedigree. That’s what makes the Mercedes-AMG One so enticing. Not only is Mercedes taking lessons (and tech) directly from its dominant Formula 1 cars, it’s also Mercedes’ first hypercar in 20 years.
Drama is par for the course in this segment, but the still-unreleased AMG One has already had more than its fair share. Originally slated to bow in late 2019, the car was delayed earlier this year amid concerns of noise and emissions issues. Luckily, AMG’s global head of sales and project management Michael Knöller confirmed to Car And Driver at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show that the project is now full-speed ahead. The fastest production Mercedes ever will now hit the streets in early 2021.
Powered by an F1-derived PU106C turbocharged V6 augmented by four electric motors, the AMG ONE is reportedly good for 1,000 horsepower, tops out at 217 mph, and goes from zero-to-124 in under six seconds. Some 275 examples are planned for production, and every single one of the $2.72 million cars sold out long before production began.
Just working out the kinks
Unsurprisingly, Mercedes-AMG has been treating their future hyper car owners accordingly. According to the C&D report: “AMG invited all of the 275 customers who pre-ordered the vehicle to Germany to explain what the status was with overcoming these challenges.” Citing difficulties taming the F1 engine for street use and “a very complicated exhaust system,” Knöller now says “we have reached the tipping point, and now we are back on track.”
The upcoming hypercar marks an important new chapter for AMG – and for Mercedes-Benz in general. The company views the next-generation hybrid powertrain as a bridge to its electrified future. AMG, in particular, is betting heavily on a post-internal combustion future, and it expects its customers to follow suit. “We have a very loyal fan base,” Knöller says, adding:
“They’ve been driving AMG for years, and it’s easy to convince them, bring them the cars and have them go for a test drive so they feel the DNA of an electrified AMG and feel that they’re, at a minimum, as good as AMG vehicles today, or even better. What stays the same is the pure performance orientation of our powertrains. At the end of the day, when you have the AMG badge on the trunk, it’s a clear statement.”
Within AMG’s larger plan, the 2021 release date has an even greater significance for the upcoming hypercar: The brand plans on offering an electrified version of every car in its portfolio by the 2021 model year.
Of course, we can’t blame Mercedes-AMG for holding up the AMG One to ensure that it’s a world-beater. And the fact that no customers attempted to jump ship shows the level of confidence that they have in the brand. At this point 2021 is just around the corner. To us, it can’t come soon enough.
Photos: Mercedes-AMG
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