Mercedes-Benz’s most exciting model the AMG Project One won’t be in the realm of possibility for most of us. But a small YouTube channel shows us all exactly what it’s like to drive one of these 1000+ horsepower machines. The pinnacle of modern engineering, the Mercedes-AMG One took inspiration from the dominating Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team’s car piloted by Lewis Hamilton.
Lifting the hybrid powertrain and placing it in an aerodynamic body that could drive on the roads Mercedes Benz effectively set its sights on a reverse homologation special. Project One echoes Mercedes’ previous road-going hypercar, the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. A car that took on the mighty McLaren F1 in the exciting GT1 class of the 1990s. Fusing the new technologies of Formula One and the styling of their legacy, Mercedes built a car that performs as well as it looks.
Take a ride around Barcelona’s Formula One track in Mercedes’ 2022 hypercar.
Mercedes-AMG One Screams Out Of The Pits
To call the Mercedes-AMG One long-awaited seems like a major understatement. The hypercar built on the championship-winning Mercedes Formula One car first came to the attention of gearheads around the world in 2017. After numerous delays from the car’s tumultuous development through the pandemic, the limited-run production car now screams along the racetracks of the world. With an incredibly high price tag of nearly $3 million, this special hypercar isn’t for the likes of us mere mortals.
However, by no means will we not experience Mercedes’ One. With the marvels of modern technology, we can get a first-person point of view of driving this desirable piece of engineering. A small YouTube channel Nico Bastian shows us what it’s like to take the mighty modern hypercar out around Barcelona’s Circuit De Catalunya, living all of our Formula One driving dreams. At the time of writing Bastian only had 198 subscribers. But the small channel is certainly one to watch.
Bastian competes as a racing driver, currently driving the Mercedes AMG GT3 car. Driving GT class Mercedes since 2012 with the SLS Bastian saw plenty of racing action with two championships under his belt in 2011 and 2019. Now with access to the Mercedes-AMG One, Bastian shows the world just how mentally this car is to drive.
As Bastian pulls away down the pit lane the Formula One underpinnings of this hypercar are obvious. Rolling down the pit straight in first gear the car screams as it follows the mandated pitlane speed limit.
The AMG One Nearly Matches A Formula One Car’s Performance
Bastian’s video cuts from various sections of the track. As the car pulls out of the pit lane the sudden burst of acceleration showcases just how much power this car actually has. Of course, it uses the same drivetrain as the V6 Hybrid era, Mercedes Formula One car. With a 1.6 liter V6 engine that works in conjunction with four electric motors that produce a combined 1000 horsepower.
According to Mercedes-Benz, “This lightning-fast, two-seater show car produces over 1,000 hp and reaches top speeds in excess of 200 mph”. What Bastian presents to the world shows that Mercedes didn’t exaggerate this car’s performance potential. In fact, they seemed to forget to mention the car’s cornering potential.
Obviously, this road-going car would never generate as much downforce as a Formula One car, which technically could drive upside down, as proven by Red Bull. Bastian pulls the Mercedes hypercar through Barcelona’s fifth corner doing over 80mph. A shade is shy of the Formula One car it uses as a base but is incredible for a road legal car.
Mercedes AMG One Packs As Much Power As It Promises
Accelerating out of the final corner Bastian uses the car’s full straight-line potential. Achieving 180mph before hitting the braking zone once more a little behind the Formula One car, however, the car showed no sign of slowing down. This burst of straight-line speed clearly sees the active aero on the car’s front end fold down for the first time around the lap. Allowing a more aerodynamic body to get the most out of this powerful engine. Throughout the rest of the lap, the car’s flaps move throughout, to aid in the aggressive cornering.
According to Bastian’s Instagram, the team arrived for AMG track week back on the 1st of November. This footage comes from the first round of track testing for the Mercedes-AMG One. As the car gets more track time under its belt the performance can only get better from here. With just how much this video show Bastian’s head pitch forward and back as well as left to right, enthusiasts should have no misapprehension that this car is anything but a Formula One car for the road.
With a full cabin, one could mistake this for a normal supercar, but with a sparse and simple interior, AMG One is as bare as a racing car. With the power, stiff ride, and handling potential that Mercedes first promised five years ago the AMG One prepares to go down as one of the greatest hypercars of our time.
Sources: Nico Bastian Via YouTube, Nico Bastian Instagram, Mercedes-Benz
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