If you know Mercedes-AMG, then you know they never do anything by halves. Every project is all in, and the Mercedes-AMG ONE proves just that. The super sports car is nothing short of mind bending, when you get into the geeky stuff.
Representing a fitting tribute for the 55th anniversary of the brand, the Mercedes-AMG is powered by a high compression 1.6-litre V6 single electronically assisted turbo engine which closely resembles the power unit found in the brand’s formula one cars.
This engine connects only to the rear wheels. If that wasn’t enough, Mercedes-AMG has fitted another two electric motors onto the front axle, one for each wheel. This dynamic system gives the ONE a very unique and powerful hybrid system.
The mid mounted engine can rev up to 11,000rpm, and is collectively capable of 782KW of power. The front motors have the ability to regenerate up to 80 per cent of the on-board battery power, allowing for plenty of electric only cruising.
Better still is the fact the Mercedes-AMG ONE is essentially all-wheel drive and can call up torque vectoring between the front two wheels. It also carries over the nine-stage traction control system found in the AMG GT black series.
There are six drive modes, of which two are only for racetrack use. Kicking off with EV mode, there’s also Individual, Race Safe, Race and Race Plus, along with Strat 2. The last two of these lower the chassis, alter the suspension and maximise power delivery.
Combine this tech with the impressive powertrain and a 7-speed automated manual gearbox that is connected to the drivetrain via four-disc carbon fibre clutch, riding on 19-inch front and 20-inch rears, it’s any wonder this thing sprints to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds.
Tipping the scales at 1,695kg, the Mercedes-AMG ONE also features three aerodynamic modes, including Highway, Track and Race DRS mode. Yes, you read that correctly, this road car has F1-style DRS (aka push to overtake).
To ensure optimal rear visibility with the adjustable rear wing and aero elements Mercedes-AMG have fitted a screen where the rear mirror would be that is fully integrated to a camera so that the driver is always able to see what’s behind.
Despite all of this track focused perfection though, there are still creature comforts like air conditioning, a passenger seat, and electric windows. The colour scheme and materials used throughout are also all derived from or inspired by F1.
While all examples of the Mercedes-AMG ONE are currently spoken for, you can be sure this is one car that will be up there with the likes of the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 and Ferrari La Ferrari as a truly unique car.
