Didn’t get your order in for a Mercedes-AMG One? Now’s your chance

To give AMG its due, though, the production Mercedes-AMG One remains very true to that original show car. Coaxing a hybrid F1 powertrain into something that can carry number plates on the public road is a feat of engineering that deserves some praise. Even if the resulting car might come with its own compromises.

For one thing, it’s very complicated. This is a car that needs its catalytic converters pre-warmed before the engine can start, after all. The turbocharger acts on both the intake and exhaust to eliminate lag as its driven by a 122PS (89kW) electric motor. Just to spool the turbo. And it has probably one of the most complex hybrid drivetrains of any road car.

The ICE element is a 90-degree 1.6-litre V6 that’s closely related to the PU106B engine found in the Mercedes-AMG F1 W06 Grand Prix car. Can you imagine a hypercar with such a meagre capacity even just a few years ago? But turns out there is a substitute for cubic inches. The engine contributes 574PS (422kW) to the total 1,063PS (782kW). The torque figure has never been published because it’s too complicated for even the big brains behind this project to calculate.

The electric element has two motors driving power to the rear wheels and one to the front, while the six cylinders rev to 11,000rpm. That hard-working engine will need a refurbishment every 50,000km — short intervals for a road car but several lifetimes for a F1 car. All that power is delivered to the wheels via a seven-speed single-clutch automated manual gearbox.

The interior is stripped bare and the car is, as you would expect, constructed from carbon fibre. Despite the apparent weight-loss regime, the One tips the scales at 1695kg; you can’t get away from the mass of those electric motors and batteries. Performance figures include a 0-62mph time of 2.9seconds and a top speed of 219mph.

The latter of those figures is helped along by a host of aerodynamic aids. There are moveable slats for front wheelhouses, a two-part extendable rear wing with DRS system, active flaps on the front diffuser and a fin that wouldn’t look out of place on a Le Mans prototype. Even the wheels have been designed with aerodynamic efficiency in mind.

Mercedes-AMG is still in the process of delivering the sold-out 275 planned units of the British-built car. If you didn’t get your name down in the first place, your chance to buy one isn’t over. At the Bonhams|Cars sale at the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, this example is offered with an estimate of £2,400,000 to £2,800,000.

The 2025 Festival of Speed takes place on 10^th-13^th July. Friday and Saturday tickets are now sold out, but Thursday and limited Sunday tickets are still available.