What's the news?
One thousand plus horsepower from a 1.6-litre electrically turbocharged V6 mated to a hybrid system which uses four electric motors. We kinda knew that though, but on the eve of the Frankfurt motor show, Mercedes-Benz boss Dr Zetsche and Lewis Hamilton actually revealed what the Project One should look like.
Hamilton drove it on stage, in Mercedes-Benz's cathedral-like show stand, it following a rousing call to electrification from Dr Zetsche involving electric autonomous Smart cars. The Project One couldn't be more different, even if there's the promise of around 25km of electric only driving via its hybrid system, the electrification here is all about the pursuit of performance, not planet friendliness.
Its environmental impact will be minimal, then, the bigger furore likely to surround those people who cannot get their hands on one, Dr Zetsche saying it'll be built in limited numbers. The likelihood is if you've not already spoken to AMG about it, then you're unlikely to be getting one. And the price of entry, nobody's saying for now, but €2-3m in the current marketplace doesn't seem ridiculous, even if saying that does.
Still, marvel in the technology here, the engine's a screamer, revving to 11,000rpm, those electric motors adding tricks like torque vectoring, the motors spinning at up to 50,000rpm. They also make the Project One four-wheel drive, which might distance it from its F1 relations, but it does mean it'll have epic traction. Enough indeed, to allow it to sprint to 200km/h (124mph if you're old-school) in under 6 seconds, really, and a top speed in excess of 350km/h. That's moonshot pace.
Exterior
After the hybrid hypercars before it from McLaren, Ferrari and Porsche, not to mention Aston Martin's forthcoming Valkyrie the Project One could be accused of being a little bit generic in its style. There's certainly less visual drama than those before it, its form more organic, less dramatic, at least in places.
Its simplicity is undeniably appealing though, and we can't help but think that there's going to be some serious active aero; those closed vents atop of the front wheels suggesting that, likewise, the rear wing is certain to elevate into a far more overt position, too.
Interior
Inside it's functional, pinching massive screens from Merc's current model line-up and adding an F1 vibe with a cut-off many-buttoned steering wheel that's pure racer.
That's all we've seen from pictures, as the doors were staying firmly shut at the car's reveal to stop hoards of journalists crawling all over it. There's room for two apparently, but we doubt there'll be much in the way of luggage space given all the motors, batteries and the likes under the bodywork, though you can send your jet ahead with the essentials.
Mechanicals
Where do we start? The F1 link is credible, the 1.6-litre, electrically turbocharged V6 revving to 11,000rpm, it aided by four additional electric motors for a combined output in excess of 1,000hp. The response promises to be sensational, with no lag, the electrification of the powertain helping enable the over 40 per cent thermal efficiency Mercedes-AMG is quoting for it. That means you can have your 1000+hp hypercar with a shred of green-leaning conscience.
There's recuperative braking, the claim up to 80% of braking force energy being scavenged back, torque vectoring via the electric motors and four-wheel drive. The transmission is an eight-speed paddle-shifted auto, though it's the combustion engine's details that are really interesting. There's pneumatic valves, the turbocharging taken care of via an electrically driven compressor rather than exhaust, allowing turbine speeds in excess of 100,000rpm and immediate response.
Anything else?
Aside what Mercedes-AMG announced on the night of the reveal there's not much else to go on, yet. We'll be chatting to AMG's boss tomorrow though, so if anything else comes up we'll be sure to let you know.