A Rare Instance of a Mid-Engine Mercedes Mercedes-Benz may have invented the motor car and have produced many significant speed machines over the years but rarely have they ever built a mid-engine, low slung supercar. In fact prior the AMG One there were only two, the 1970 C111 and the 1997, CLK GTR Straßenversion. The AMG ONE is believe it or not the third mid-engine supercar in Mercedes’ history. The engine sits in front of the rear axle and power is sent to all four wheels. Plus with its butterfly doors and active rear spoiler, it captures that grab and desire of any true supercar. A Small Tiny but Powerful and Loud Engine Traditionally supercars used gargantuan thirsty motors to power them. Even today, the minimum size of most supercar engines is 3.0l. However the AMG ONE uses a relatively tiny 1.6l single turbo V6 which doesn’t sound like much. However this engine is the similar to the one utilised in most of AMG’s F1 cars that dominated the last decade. As a result, Mercedes have managed to extract 566 horsepower from a 1.6 and a redline of 11000rpm, higher than any road car imaginable. Then again we shouldn’t be surprised, the current C63S E-Performance generates 470 horsepower. AMG certainly knows how to get big power and high revs from small engines. A Standout Battery Cell Arrangement Very much like the F1 car on which its based, the AMG ONE is a hybrid. It’s turbo V6 is connected to four electric motors. One motor is integrated into the turbocharger, another is connected directly to the crankshaft, and two drive the front wheels, enabling all-wheel drive. Read More Photos: 2004 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren – The Most Underappreciated, Unique and Disparate Hypercar Ever Made The battery uses advanced lithium-ion cells with high energy density and is cooled individually for optimal performance. The cells arrangement is exactly the same as in AMG’s Petronas F1 cars giving the car a low centre of gravity. Essentially this is as close to an F1 car to the road as there will ever be. Built in the UK, not Germany Believe it or not, this German Supercar isn’t built in Stuttgart rather in Coventry, the UK. Primarily this is because AMG’s Formula 1 team is located in Brackley in Northamptonshire and its powertrain is assembled in Brixworth by F1 experts. No doubt, the UK’s motorsport heritage and F1 expertise is probably the main reason why AMG they decided their most bespoke product should be specially built here. Multiple Driving Modes All modern supercars have various different modes to garner various characters when driven hard and the AMG ONE is no exception. In total there are six different driving modes available. These include: Race Safe Mode: A hybrid mode with an all-electric start-up; the internal combustion engine (ICE) activates at higher speeds. Race Mode: Hybrid mode with a focus on energy recovery, full ICE operation, and battery charging. EV Mode: Fully electric driving mode for zero-emissions operation. Race Plus Mode: The ultimate track mode. ICE and EV motors are working at full capacity. The aerodynamics are enhanced for maximum airflow and the suspension lowered to ensure maximum track attack. Strat 2 Mode: Even more extreme than Race Plus. Firmer suspension and maximum electric motor output. Essentially F1 qualify performance. Individual Mode: Allows drivers to save and customize personal preferences. The King of the Green Hell: Twice Over As well as being the closest machine to replicate F1 car performance for the road, the AMG ONE’s other main goal was the smash the lap record at the Nürburgring, previously held by a GT2 RS Manthey Racing with a time of 6:38. And in November of 2022, they achieved just this. The AMG ONE achieved an impressive 6:35.18 at the Green Hell, over three seconds quicker than the Porsche. Despite this racing driver, Maro Engel believed conditions where not ideal as the track still had damp patches. So in September of 2024, AMG reran the ONE at the ring, with far more optimum conditions. With Engel once again at the helm, the car smashed it previous record with a time of 6:29.09 over six seconds faster than before. Not only does it make the ONE the first sub-6:30 car round the ring but it’s such a high bar that it almost makes it impossible for other car manufacturers to surpass. A Record at Monza as Well But believe it or not the AMG ONE isn’t just the King of the Ring, the car also holds production lap records at other tracks. Most notably the production car record at the Iconic Monza Circuit. In April 2023, the AMG ONE set an impressive 1:43.90, over 8 seconds than the previous record holder the GT2 RS Manthey Racing. It seems wherever this car hit the track, it will dominate no matter what. Linked back to Hamilton AMG’s change from tyre-smoking muscle cars to road racers coincided perfectly with Lewis Hamilton joining them in F1 back in 2013. The AMG ONE perfectly encapsulates this change so its no surprise Hamilton is heavily involved in this car’s development. Not only did he unveil the prototype back in 2017, but has been heavily involved in its development and starred in its launch advert. And when it finally entered production, Hamilton purchased two ONEs, one for himself and the other for his father Anthony, who worked two jobs so he could achieve his success in F1. Source: Mercedes-AMG
