Mercedes Concentrates on Experience Over Speed in the AMG One

Recent Records

Earlier this month, Bugatti was able to break the 300 mph barrier and beat Hennessey, SCC North America, and Koenigsegg in accruing the much-coveted speed bragging rights. Despite this being such a huge and ground-breaking achievement, it's not deterring other rivals like Hennessey from working to beat Bugatti.  

Photos Courtesy of Top Gear

Not Interested in Speed Competition

Not all vehicle manufacturers are interested in beating speed records. One such manufacturer is Mercedes-AMG. According to the CEO, Tobias Moers, the AMG One will not be seeking to compete against the Bugatti and other speed monsters. This disinterest might be valid as Bugatti has also retired from the competition after setting a record of 304.773 mph.   

Photos Courtesy of Top Gear

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Not Interested in Racing Either

The Aston Martin Valkyrie has received a lot of engagement and this is something Moers and his team are aware of. According to him, customers have continuously asked if AMG will do the same with the Project One. Unfortunately, AMG is not comfortable with investing that huge in BoP-based races. We, therefore, don't expect to see the AMG One at Le Mans when it debuts. What's of concern to Moers is how such race cars will perform in the special series considering the current "Balance of Performance" guidelines. He's, however, very excited to see them race together. 

Photos Courtesy of Top Gear 

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The Experience

The reason Moers and his team aren't interested in speed records is that to them, the experience of being in a Formula 1 powered vehicle is more important. Driving at extreme speeds is exciting and fun, but, it's often difficult to do it in a legal and safe manner. The AMG One will be fast, but AMG wants its buyers to have a great experience without compromising safety.  

Photos Courtesy of Top Gear

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Inevitable Delays

The first deliveries of the AMG One will take place in early 2021. Also, it will take months before anyone outside the AMG team can drive and experience the car. Squeezing a Formula 1 engine into a regular car is hard. This is considering that the team has to stay within the limits set by law.  

Photos Courtesy of Top Gear

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New Regulations

The new vehicle noise regulations set by Europe have put the progress of the AMG One a few steps back. Mercedes-AMG has been working to manage the noise from outside the vehicle and within its cabin. According to Moers, it took the team a while to put the engine emissions in check and keep the noise under control. 

Photos Courtesy of Top Gear 

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Underestimated Journey

The AMG One was announced 2 years ago. Moers believes that his team might have underestimated what it would take to get the car ready. The engine was originally designed to achieve up to 15,000 rpm. When the team got it to 1,200 rpm, air could hardly circulate within it. He admits that it took quite a while to get some things sorted. The final engine has already been specced and is currently undergoing tests. 

Photos Courtesy of Top Gear 

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