Remember the crazy hypercar that Mercedes-AMG is working on? You know, the one codenamed Project One? How could you forget. Well, the top man in Affalterbach has revealed a few interesting new details about the vehicle, as well as its expected price-tag.
Mercedes-AMG chief Tobias Moers told media at the Geneva Motor Show that the hypercar would cost somewhere in the region of €2,275-million (or around R32-million, at current exchange rates) and be limited to 275 units.
The production version is expected to be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year, with the first customers likely to receive their keys in 2019.
Moers said that the hypercar would serve as a “hero car” as Mercedes-AMG prepared to kick off its new hybrid performance strategy.
Moers confirmed that the vehicle would employ a 1,6-litre turbocharged petrol engine closely related to the German brand’s Formula 1 mill, and spinning at a sky-high 11 000 r/min, linked to a single-clutch automated manual transmission. And, of course, plenty of hybrid technology.
“It’s a four-wheel drive; we have two individual motors on the front axle, each 120 kW. We do have the turbochargers split. We do have an electric motor at the crank as well,” Moers told motoring.com.au.
“To combine everything and give you the drivability you expect from a car like that, this is really challenging,” he admitted.
Interestingly, he also revealed that the engine would require special attention after about 50 000 km.
“We have an understanding of about 50 000 km. This is okay for us. I think that’s good enough,” Moers told the Australian publication.
“That’s the life of the engine. Then we do some rework, like in a race car. But you don’t need an F1 team, you don’t need special [fuel]. You can push the button and it fires up,” he said.
And, yes, you can expect Mercedes-Benz to take Project One to the Nürburgring to set a lap time…