Mercedes-Benz AMG has announced the official lap times for its One supercar at the Nürburgring and this is a new record for a production car.
In an attempt on October 28, the One was driven by driver Maro Engel throughout 12.9 miles of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a time of 6:35.183. This time broke the previous record of 6:43.61 set by AMG’s own GT Black in 2020. This time, the race was conducted in wet conditions.
“I didn’t expect that we would be able to set such a lap time with these track conditions,” Engel, who is a successful Formula E and DTM driver and winner of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, said after the run. “In some crucial areas of the track, it hadn’t dried completely yet and was therefore tricky.”
Mercedes finally revealed the production version of the One in June, and the first examples will soon be delivered to patient customers—it’s been five years since unveiling the concept at the Frankfurt motor show. 2017.
The car is powered by the same engine found in the current Mercedes F1 team racing series. It’s a turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6, especially the one from the championship-winning race car from the 2015 season. However, the One actually has a more sophisticated powertrain than the F1 car.
Whereas race cars only have a turbocharged V-6 and an alternator to drive the rear wheels, plus a second alternator integrated with the turbocharger, the One has two more engines. electricity generation. These wheels drive each of the front wheels and provide the One with all-wheel drive. Peak power is 1,049 horsepower, though the car is relatively heavy for a two-seater, weighing 3,737 pounds, roughly the weight of a Ford Mustang GT.
For the record run, the One was set to Race Plus driving mode. This mode is designed for use on the track, and in addition to lowering the vehicle (37 mm at the front and 30 mm at the rear), it adjusts chassis and aerodynamic settings to the maximum. Engel also uses a system to reduce the vehicle’s drag during running.
Production of both the One’s F1 powertrain and the car itself is handled in the U.K. The powertrain comes from Mercedes‑Benz AMG High Performance Powertrains, the division that develops and builds Mercedes’ F1 power units.
AMG will produce a total of 275 units, each costing 2,275 million euros ($2.3 million), and all production slots have been sold out. Although a lot of the build positions have already reached customers in the United States, AMG has not been able to certify the car and its sophisticated F1 engine for sale here without significant performance loss and therefore will not sell it here. There is some hope for US customers in the form of Display or Display rules. As a rule, non-certified U.S. vehicles of historical or technological significance can be licensed for private import, albeit with restrictions, such as limited annual mileage. 2,500 miles.