The first customer example of the Mercedes-Benz AMG One hypercar was delivered more than five months after the start of production and more than five years after the vehicle was first presented at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The first customer example is painted black and was delivered to a customer in Germany.
Just 275 examples are planned, with a few confirmed buyers including Formula 1 drivers Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and David Coulthard. For anyone hoping to join this list, despite a starting price of €2.275 million (about $2.572 million), all build slots are gone.
Although many of the build lots went to customers in the US, AMG could not certify the car and its tricky F1 engine for sale here without a significant loss in performance and will therefore not be selling it here. However, there is some hope for US customers to take delivery in the form of the show or display rule on home soil.
Production of the One takes place at its own plant in Coventry, UK, close to where Mercedes’ F1 engines are built. The F1 engine builder Mercedes-Benz AMG High Performance Powertrains is also responsible for the engine of the One.
The engine is a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6, specifically the design of the Mercedes championship racing car from the 2015 F1 season. But the rest of the One’s powertrain is actually more sophisticated than in the F1 car. While the race car has only the turbocharged V-6 and a motor-generator driving the rear wheels, plus a second motor-generator integrated into the turbocharger, the One has two additional motor-generators. These each drive the front wheels and provide the One with all-wheel drive. Peak power is 1,049 horsepower, although the car is relatively heavy for a two-seater, weighing 3,737 pounds.
Performance is underwhelming as estimates include a 0-62mph time in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 219mph, likely due to aerodynamics. The One also holds the Nürburgring lap record for a production car, with its time of 6:35.183 set on a wet track last autumn.
