Mercedes teases hybrid supercar with Formula 1 tech
You’ve seen hybrid supercars before, but likely nothing quite so exotic as this. Mercedes-Benz is teasing the debut of the Mercedes-AMG Project One, a hybrid “supersports showcar,” at the Frankfurt International Motor Show beginning September 14th. While the preview image doesn’t show much besides a GT-style body (complete with an air scoop on the roof), Mercedes makes much ado of the car’s Formula 1 underpinnings — both powerplants amount to race car technology adapted to “day-to-day” use.
Based on previous info, the machine will combine an F1-based 1.6-liter turbo V6 with two electric motors: a 134HP motor linked to the crankshaft, and a 107HP motor that minimizes turbo lag, even though the engine can rev up to an extreme 11,000RPM. The hardware promises over 1,000 combined horsepower and a 217MPH top speed, yet it should offer 15.5 miles of pure electric driving. And yes, all that raw power is as punishing as you’d suspect — just like a race car, you’ll need to rebuild the engine every 31,000 miles.
Needless to say, this will be hard to get. Even if you can swing the expected $2.54 million sticker price for Project One, AMG says it only expects to make 275 units. There’s a good chance that business tycoons will snap up the production run almost immediately. Still, it’s good to see hybrid technology taken to its limits before electric supercars take over.
(38)
