Mercedes-AMG

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Why the Mercedes-AMG Project One’s active aero doesn’t split like Lamborghini’s

Related: We obsessively covered the Frankfurt Motor Show — here’s our complete coverage

FRANKFURT, Germany — We learned some interesting facts from Mercedes-AMG’s CEO Tobias Moers at the Frankfurt Motor Show about the Project One. While the machine boasts a comprehensive suite of active aerodynamic technology from adjustable spoilers to opening vents, the right and left sides of the Project One can’t operate independently of each other.

As you may remember, the Lamborghini Huracán Performante‘s party pieces are vents that adjust the amount of downforce applied to either the left or right side. This helps keep the car level in corners, and it likely contributed to the Lambo’s wickedly fast Nürburgring lap time. The astonishing Project One will not take advantage of a similar system.

Moers told us he didn’t see an advantage to such a variable system. He feels that having downforce is vital right from the moment of turn-in, and adjusting downforce left and right can’t be done quickly enough to make a difference at corner entry. And there’s no way to predictively adjust aero to prepare for a corner, at least not at this point in time. That being said, Lamborghini certainly sees merit and has said there are benefits in high-speed corners and we agree that it makes a difference.

Mercedes-AMG Project One powertrain

According to Moers, 1,000-horsepower Formula 1 V6 hybrid powertrain wasn’t particularly difficult to make durable and reliable enough for daily driving on the streets. He said that the criteria from racing wasn’t too far off. One of the primary difficulties was getting the idle down from around 4,000 rpm to a more livable 1,000 rpm. Accessories like air conditioning, which usually require belt-driven compressors from the engine, were taken care of by simply powering them with electricity, something the hybrid will have plenty of.

We also gather that Mercedes will take the car to the ‘Ring to set a lap time. Unfortunately, Moers wouldn’t give us a target time the company is shooting for. After all, there are still some things to fine tune and prepare before the company starts delivering cars to customers in 2019.

Deciding who gets a Project One is another of the things Mercedes-AMG is still working on. Despite a cost of over $2.5 million, demand is impressively high. Moers told us that about 3-4 times as many people asking to buy one as the total allotment of 275 cars. So if you’re not already in line, well, it’s probably not gonna happen.

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September 14, 2017 / Comments Off

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Under the skin of Mercedes-AMG’s Project One hypercar

Last year, at the Paris Auto Show, AMG head Tobias Moers told us about the Project One hypercar. The months since this announcement haven’t tamped down our amazement about what Mercedes-AMG is up to. The renderings you’re looking at are straight from AMG, released right as our man in Europe is heading into a technical briefing on the car. While we wait for his full report, let’s ogle this incredible hardware.

We were told to expect a Formula One-derived powerplant, and by golly that sure looks like one. There’s a carbon fiber air inlet perched atop a V6 hybrid power unit mounted amidships, and flanked by a snake’s nest of headers. The exhaust system sits on top of a structural rear transaxle, an automated manual of course. There’s an electric turbocharger, which is part of a very exotic MGU-H system – it can essentially harvest kinetic energy from exhaust gas spinning the turbocompressor, and also reverse flow to spool up the compressor when needed using stored energy. Speaking of which, there’s a high-voltage Li-Ion battery just behind the front axle.

project one

That front axle will be electrified, with no mechanical connection to the V6 engine. So it’ll need juice to run, likely a mixture of MGU-H energy and also power harvested from the MGU-K system, which is basically a conventional hybrid generator physically connected to the engine. Well, conventional in theory; this generator’s likely to be as exotic as the rest of the car. That assessment extends to the inboard suspension, a complex arrangement of pushrods and transverse coilover units, although the rear pairs exotically-mounted shocks with the classic Mercedes-Benz five-link arrangement.

This is not, of course, unadulterated F1 tech. The engine is likely to be less strung out, only revving to around 10,000 RPM than what a real F1 car can spin at, to increase the engine’s lifespan. That being said, Moers is on record as saying that the engine will need a serious overhaul at around 31,000 miles. Assume that this will be extensive and extremely expensive, not that a Project One buyer’s going to have trouble paying for the service. After all, the car’s expected to cost $2 million when it goes on sale.

We’ll have much more detail coming soon, but until then enjoy this intimate look at an upcoming hypercar.

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May 27, 2017 / Comments Off

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2018 Merecedes-AMG GT R Coupe priced at $157,995

Mercedes-AMG has been building up to the launch of its 2018 GT R Coupe with enthusiasm generated on the part of the automaker and fans alike. With a 4.0-liter biturbocharged V8 making 577 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, the Nürburgring-developed supercar has the engineering chops to make that power useful in more than just a flat, straight line. It’s also going to look impressive in the garages of the owners who are willing to pay the price, which the automaker has just announced. The 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe will start at $157,995.

The GT R asks a price premium of $24,600 over the 503-hp GT S, and $44,600 over the base GT Coupe. At 3,428 pounds, the GT R accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Power is routed to the rear wheels through an AMG seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Its unique coil-over suspension helps keep it stable on irregular pavement. Rear-axle steering turns the rear wheels up to 1.5 degrees to guide the car around corners, and its new AMG Traction Control system provides nine different, driver-selectable input levels to match the skill set of the person behind the wheel.

When we had the chance to sample the GT R Coupe late last year, we found it to be a lot more than just a bunch of grunt in an aggressive looking package. It is, rather, a well-tuned supercar capable of serving drivers with a fairly broad range of talents and skill levels. If that sounds good to you, start saving those pennies. The 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R Coupe goes on sale in the US this summer.

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April 6, 2017 / Comments Off

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The Mercedes-AMG hypercar will require a full service at 31,000 miles

When shopping for your next Mercedes-AMG hypercar, you might want to opt for the extended warranty, or at the very least inquire about regular maintenance costs. AMG boss Tobias Moers told Motor 1 that the F1-derived turbocharged V6 will require a significant overhaul after about 31,000 miles. While that may not seem like a lot of miles, the new AMG is a multi-million dollar car rumored to make in excess of 1,000 horsepower, so you can’t expect Toyota Camry-like maintenance intervals.

The 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid V6 that’s rumored to power the 300 new cars is derived from the championship winning Formula One engine, though revs would be limited to a measly 11,000 rpm. Expect electric motors to power at least the front wheels, meaning the 0-60 mph time should be ridiculously quick. We won’t see the car until the Frankfurt Motor Show, but expect more hype and teasers in the meantime.

Most of these multi-million dollar hypercars (like the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, LaFerrari, or Bugatti Chiron) won’t touch 10,000 miles, much less 31,000. AMG has to know that going in, which is why it focused more on performance and less on maintenance costs. Also, if you’ve got a few million to blow on a car, you can afford to have trained techs maintain it.

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March 13, 2017 / Comments Off

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