Mercedes-AMG has said that the development of the forthcoming Project One hypercar is entering a new phase and nearing production standard. The German marque announced that several pre-production models are now practising fast laps at the company’s own proving ground and technology center at Immendingen, Germany.
Testing has transferred from the test labs to concentrate more on a test track environment. For the first time, the project leaders have authorized testing of the comprehensively electrified and highly complex hybrid power unit with its full output of more than 735kW (1,000hp).
Along with the dynamic test program and some refinements to the car’s driveability, development work is also focused on the car’s active aerodynamics. The complex interplay between the various active components – such as the louvres, the air outlets in the front fenders or the large rear aerofoil – is now confirming its effectiveness even outside the wind tunnel as a means of delivering the car’s exceptional lateral dynamics.
The objective of Project One is to reach a new dimension of driving dynamics and performance for a road-going vehicle. The adaptation of a complete Formula 1 drive unit for a hypercar with road approval, along with its driving dynamics, must also deliver perfectly in terms of everyday performance and be able to drive in all-electric mode. The project team said that this represented a tremendous challenge. The development team ventured into uncharted territory with this project, Mercedes-AMG says, working with great tenacity and exceptional engineering expertise to find solutions that could be developed to series maturity.
In parallel to the extensive dynamic testing being undertaken with the project vehicles, the attendant development work also continues on this extraordinary hybrid vehicle from Mercedes-AMG at the company’s base in Affalterbach. The various vehicle systems are put meticulously through their paces on the engine testbeds and in the in-house simulator. The next step in this extensive program of testing and development is already clear: the performance of the Project One will shortly also be tested on the north loop of the Nürburgring.
