Wow! Mercedes-AMG makes an honest documentary about its own failure
The upcoming documentary is titled “Project One: A Milestone in Automotive History.” But to call the troubled Mercedes-AMG One a milestone in the history of the car…
The Mercedes-AMG One was announced in 2017 as Project One. It would be a crazy hypercar, with the hybrid powertrain from Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 car in the back.
Mercedes-AMG One delayed
Easier said than done, as it soon turned out, because the development of the AMG One was a drama. The model’s market launch was repeatedly postponed.
Mercedes-AMG knew that a Formula 1 engine was not suitable for use on public roads, but apparently did not expect that the challenges would be so great.
Getting the 1.6-liter racing V6 to comply with current emissions regulations turned out to be an almost impossible challenge. In addition, the engine was too loud and it was not possible to reduce the idle speed.
The planning was too optimistic
Remarkably, in the documentary’s trailer we see all sorts of Mercedes technicians and managers taking matters into their own hands. “The planning was too optimistic,” they say. ‘We apologize.’
In the accompanying YouTube video, it also appears that multiple F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was the driving force behind the disappointing project. His idea was a good one, so to speak.
Ultimately, the production version of the AMG One only came onto the market in summer 2022. “The board must have been drunk when they gave the green light to the car,” joked CEO Ola Källenius in 2022.
Tesla Model S is faster
The AMG One has a 574 hp six-cylinder that can run at a whopping 11,000 rpm. In total, it produces 1063 horsepower thanks to the addition of four electric motors.
The Mercedes-AMG’s 0 to 100 km/h time isn’t even that impressive: 2.9 seconds. A Bugatti Chiron and even a Tesla Model S Plaid are faster. The One’s top speed is 352 km/h.
The plug-in hybrid, which costs 2.275 million euros, has an electric range of 18 kilometers and weighs 1,700 kilos. It is produced in an edition of 275 pieces. They are all already sold.