Mercedes is working on something great: the SF car brought from Formula 1

Mercedes sold all 275 units planned for production at a price of $ 2.7 million.

The production version of the Mercedes-AMG One hypercar, which took five years to develop, uses a Formula 1-inspired hybrid propulsion system to produce 1,049 hp from a 1.6-liter petrol engine paired with four electric motors.

One was first introduced as a concept project called Project One at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, and since then Mercedes has sold all 275 units planned for production at a price of $ 2.7 million.

Mercedes said it was facing daunting technical challenges to bring the all-wheel drive One into production and hinted that the project was not certain to be completed.

“The huge technical challenges of making a modern Formula 1 powertrain, suitable for everyday road use, have undoubtedly pushed us to our limits,” Philipp Schiemer, President of Mercedes-AMG, said in a statement. the press.

“During the development period, many would have thought that the project would be impossible to implement,” he said, adding that customers “also went through ups and downs during development.”

Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius seems to have agreed, saying last month, on Mercedes Capital Market Day, that management must have been “drunk” when it gave the green light to the project.

Even if One uses combustion technology to achieve unprecedented levels of power and performance for a Mercedes vehicle, future AMG models will almost certainly be fully electric. Mercedes has developed a dedicated electrical platform called AMG.EA for such models.

Future models will be electric

Aside from the general challenge of taming a Formula 1 running gear for the road, the main difficulty was exhaust aftertreatment, said Jochen Hermann, Mercedes-AMG’s technical director. “The project was partly a curse and a blessing at the same time,” Hermann said. – But we walked on the stony path.

To comply with Euro 6 pollution regulations, the gas treatment system includes four metal catalytic converters, two ceramic catalytic converters and two particulate filters – and a titanium damper.

Finally, One has CO2 emissions of 198 grams per km – the equivalent of a non-hybrid premium SUV – with a fuel efficiency of 8.7 liters / km or 27 mpg, says Mercedes.

One’s propulsion system is based on a 1.6-liter single-cylinder, 6-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with four camshafts. The springs of the pneumatic valves, rather than the manual ones, allow it to reach 11,000 rpm. The turbo is powered directly by a 90 kilowatt electric motor.

The major advantage of this arrangement is the faster response from idling on the full speed range, Mercedes said, and the boost pressure can be maintained even when the driver takes a foot off the accelerator pedal. In addition, the electric turbocharger can act as a generator to charge the battery or power electric motors on the front axle or connected to the engine itself.

Efficiency

Mercedes says the engine’s electric motor, which is connected to the crankshaft, has a power of 120 kilowatts.

One is all-wheel drive, which is activated by the two 120 kW motors on the front axle, which allows individual torque distribution or torque vectoring. The engines also recover up to 80% of their braking energy to charge the battery.

The 8.4 kilowatt-hour battery allows an electric range of only 18 km and is located behind the front axle. The electrical system operates at 800 volts, a feature seen in only a few road vehicles, which allows for smaller cable diameters and thus reduces weight.

Owners can use six driving modes, from fully electric to “Layer 2”, which Mercedes says is for track use only and mimics the Formula 1 qualification, running all engines at full power.

One is built around a carbon fiber monocoque, with the engine and transmission bearing and supporting the rear multilink suspension.

The front wheels are 19 inches and run on specially developed Michelin 285/35 tires, while the rear wheels are 20 inches on 335/30 tires. One’s silhouette is incorporated into the design of the side wall.

Modeled after Formula 1

The influence of Formula 1 is also reflected in the design of One’s carbon fiber body. The roof has a large air intake to direct the air flow to the engine which narrows to a vertical wing. A variety of pipes and vents direct the air around the body and chassis, which Mercedes says is starting to generate aerodynamic force at 50 km / h.

The rear has a two-piece diffuser and a retractable wing, as well as an outlet taken directly from Formula 1. All aerodynamic aids are dynamic and hydraulically controlled to adjust the pressing force as needed in three ways: highway, track and “Reducing racing endurance”. System ”for maximum speed, limited to 352 km / h.

Inside, Mercedes says the theme is “without style”, which means that the function has priority. “The design is a synthesis of the language of sculptural form and the design of uncompromising racing,” said the carmaker. Adjustments are made primarily to the pedal and steering wheel, as the seats are mostly fixed in place.

Other interior features include a back room instead of a mirror, electric windows, air conditioning and air-conditioned seats.