The Mercedes-Benz AMG One hypercar has just set a new lap record for production cars at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, home of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.
With racing driver Maro Engel behind the wheel, the One managed a time of 1:43.902. According to Mercedes, the time beats the previous record by a whole 12 seconds, which is particularly impressive for a track with a length of 3.6 miles.
Mercedes didn’t mention what car held the previous record, though it’s thought to be a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
This is the One’s second record for a famous racetrack. Engel last November drove the One around the Nürburgring in a time of 6:35.183. That time was approximately 8.4 seconds faster than the previous record, set by AMG’s GT Black Series in 2020.
Mercedes-Benz AMG One production in Coventry, U.K.
Mercedes plans to build just 275 examples of the One. Deliveries have already started, and the first went to a customer in Germany in January.
Even though a lot of build slots went to customers in the U.S., AMG wasn’t able to certify the car and its finicky F1 engine for sale here without a substantial loss in performance, and thus won’t sell it here. There is some hope for U.S. customers to take delivery on home soil in the form of the Show or Display rule, however.
The car’s hybrid powertrain consists of a V-6 and trio of electric motors. The engine is the same turbo 1.6-liter V-6 from Mercedes’ championship-winning race car from the 2015 Formula 1 season. But the rest of the One’s powertrain is actually more sophisticated than in the F1 car. While in the race car only the V-6 and a motor-generator drive the rear wheels, the One has two additional motor-generators. These drive each of the front wheels and provide the car with all-wheel drive. Peak output is 1,049 hp, though the car is relatively heavy for a two-seater, weighing in at 3,737 pounds.
Performance is scintillating, as estimates include a 0-62 mph time in 2.9 seconds and a top speed capped at 219 mph, likely due to the aerodynamics.
