To make the car perform better with a big-boy engine in the heart, the designers and engineers at Mercedes has done a brilliant job in designing the car. The AMG ONE is designed for extracting every inch of performance from the car through the clever use of aerodynamics in the design. The front wheel arches are integrated with NACA ducts, something that we are familiar with Lamborghini, the Italian pioneer, or simply gills, which are made of carbon fibre which are specifically for the front wheelhouses, a two part extendable rear wing with DRS system from formula One. The DRS or the Drag Reduction System is another clever technology taken from Formula One, where the rear wing adjusts itself for making the car more aerodynamic hence giving the car more speed as well, which is something that is on the rear wing of a Formula One car. Along with the DRS, there is the active flaps on the front diffuser which are adjustable to suit the driver’s chosen driving program. The front air inlets on the hood, the roof mounted air intake, which is another element from the W06, the large aerodynamic fin extending all the way down to the back end along with the aerodynamically optimized wheels helps the car to generate more downforce for carry maximum speed at highspeed corners. The body is made entirely of carbon fibre in line with its F1 counterpart, resulting in a final kerb weight of 1,695 kg. The car also features the Formula One inspired exhaust tailpipe with its large round outlet and two other smaller outlets.
The aforementioned big-boy engine, which is a formula one engine was given subtle changes, use of internal heaters to preheat 1.6L V6 before starting up. The MGU-K and MGU-H work on full time shift to make the car more efficient and fast at the same time. The MGU-K or the Motor Generator Unit- Kinetic is coupled with the crankshaft which helps to recover energy and the MGU-H or the Motor Generator Unit-Heat is coupled to the turbocharger which helps to reduce the turbo lag and improve throttle response by keeping the turbine spinning at high speeds and to recover wasted energy from the exhaust. The first one is the 120 kw and the second one is a 90kw electric motors. Including this two electric motors and the other two 120 KW motors on the front axle and the internal combustion unit sums up to five motors in the power unit, which is literally mind blowing. Driving this car on the track in full beast mode will be almost equal to that of driving an F1 car, honestly mind blowing. Also this engine is coupled with a seven speed single clutch automated manual gearbox with paddle shifter completes the F1 Car in street experience as a whole.
The seven speed automated manual single clutch gearbox with 4 disc carbon racing clutch which is derived from Formula1 technology delivering the horsepower and torque to the rear wheels. A reason for the AMG to keep the dual clutch transmission out of the choose box, even though it is more capable of handling the high revving V6 is because the single clutch gearbox is light when compared to the dual clutch transmission, another element where they can save some precious grams and improve the performance of the car on track. The penta-link aluminum coil-over push-rod suspension with adaptive damping adjustment is one of the hundreds of elements that is adapted from the world of Formula One. The car also features the Hydraulic AMG carbon-fibre ceramic high-performance composite brake system, with 398 x 38 mm front composite brake discs, ventilated with 6-piston aluminum fixed callipers. 380 x 34 mm rear composite brake discs, ventilated with 4-piston aluminum fixed callipers, all covered under a 10 spoke aluminum alloy wheels, 19 inch for the front and 20 for the rear, which are aerodynamically optimized as mentioned earlier, and those rims are covered by Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Rs with 285\35 ZR 19 for the fronts and a wider 335\30 ZR 20. Other kind of all car features like ABS, break assist and three stage ESP are also available on the AMG ONE.
The interior is mostly minimalist and driver-focused, continuing the Formula One theme of the ONE. AMG Motorsport Bucket Seats integrated into a carbon monocoque chassis with a formula one style steering wheel with knobs for driving programmes including DRS aka the drag reduction system and pedals. Driver centric infotainment system and the traditional luxury features like the napa leather and hand stitching on the bucket seats. One of the main point of attraction on the inside is the Formula One inspired wheels which are multifunctional and gives out the feel of driving a formula one car on track. The AMG motorsport bucket seats are integrated on to the carbon fibre chassis which means the steering column and the pedals are the only stuff that can be moved, on the seats, the only thing that can be moved are the headrests. The interior of the AMG ONE has all kinds of technical stuff, like the infotainment screen, rear view camera, which is practically a requirement since the engine is right on your back. But one thing about the interior is that it is more driver centric and performance focused, which is an obvious thing, but then they have kept the traditional luxury features like the napa leather finished interior and the digital infotainment MBUX system with hey Mercedes feature, only exception that she will be quiet most of the time. (probably, not sure about it).
Since we have discussed about the exterior and interior, lets dive into the performance and the least considered element, the practicality. The ONE is incorporated with six different driving modes namely EV, RACE SAFE, RACE, RACE PLUS and STRAT 2 and INDIVIDUAL Modes. The EV mode, as the name states is to drive in all electric mode, using the battery power. And it is no joke, or not just a driving mode for the sake of it, in EV mode, the car can go up to 15 miles at the electric mode. The RACE SAFE mode features a hybrid driving mode with all-electric start up. The ICE switched on only when a higher power is required. When you want to go pedal to metal mode in the RACE SAFE mode it will automatically turn the screaming ICE engine behind you on, so as for you to get more power and push the car. The RACE mode is where the ICE is at fulltime function, giving you adequate power to cruise through highways. Also the RACE mode has the regen system which charges the batteries in the meantime. The RACE PLUS mode is where the active aerodynamics comes into play. The front diffuser flaps folds up to shape, rear wing is fully extended, front fender vents open up, lower the car by 37 mm in front and 30 mm in rear, chassis tuning and special performance management. The STRAT 2 mode is exactly the RACE PLUS mode but with some additional modes and tuning. It is the same mode as the qualifying mode in an F1 car where the driver is given with everything inside the package for pushing the car to the absolute limits.
The additional add-ons on the STRAT-2 mode are, a firmer suspension tuning and full electric power from all the electric motors. The STRAT-2 mode is the best mode for a driver who is on the track and wishes to push the car over the limit. Meanwhile the INDIVIDUAL mode enables the driver to configure the car settings as per their personal preferences. With all these kind of technological features and six drive modes, the car can do the 0-100 kph in under 3 seconds, to be precise 2.7 seconds, 0-200 kph in under 7 seconds, and 0-300 kph in 15.6 seconds. The car will pull all the way up to 352 kph which is electronically limited for legal reasons. In November 2022, the AMG One set a lap time of 6:35.183 minutes at the Nürburgring Nordschleife 12.944 mile (20.832 km) course. Driven by Maro Engel, it became the fastest road-legal production car around the track, beating the previous record by over 13 seconds, which was held by the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. According to Engel, the man behind the wheel, the track wasn't in ideal conditions while the lap was done, he claimed that some parts of the track were still on damp conditions and he had to lift the throttle at those particular corners. Mercedes-AMG claimed the car could have easily done a sub 6:30 minute lap time, if the track was in ideal conditions. Following the Green Hell; Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record, Mercedes-AMG revealed the AMG One to have set new lap records around the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, Hockenheimring, and Red Bull Ring, setting lap times of 1:56.096 minutes, 1:38.563 minutes and 1:26.846 minutes respectively. In April 2023, AMG claimed another production car lap record with a time of 1:43.902 minutes around the temple of speed, Monza.
The Production of the AMG ONE commenced on the August of 2022 and the company had made it clear that they will only produce 275 units of the car. One unit of the AMG ONE costs you around 2.72 Million USD, something that is reasonable for a car with an F1 engine behind the back. But its a sad news for you because the ONE is already sold out. According to the reports, Mercedes AMG received more than four times the production number of orders, which was pretty understandable but it was disappointing for many of the costumers when the company announced that there will be no AMG ONEs produced more than the pre stated production numbers that is 275, and the company said the reason to limit the production is so as to maintain the exclusivity of the car. A
ll 275 cars to be hand built by Mercedes-AMG, with deliveries to begin in late 2022. The first car was delivered on January 16, 2023, which had an exclusive paint job inspired by the livery of Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance. Some of the renowned personalities who has placed orders for their specific pieces are Sir Lewis Hamilton, who purchased it for his father, Anthony Hamilton, David Coulthard, Nico Rosberg, Manny Khoshbin and many more. As a verdict on the AMG ONE, I can definitely say that the AMG ONE is an absolute one off wild road legal beast which has something out of the regular world in the heart, the F1 engine. At the end of the day, the AMG ONE is not just a car, it is an absolute experience. As the company officials say, the Counterpart of the Formula One World for the Streets. The F1 Counterpart for the streets.
