Mercedes-AMG Project One Begins Testing, Has An Unmistakable F1 Sound

Mercedes-AMG hasn’t said much about the Project One since they unveiled a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. That’s changing today as the automaker has released pictures of a prototype undergoing testing.

Looking instantly recognizable, the prototype remains pretty faithful to the concept even in its early form. There are a handful of differences, but minor changes can likely be chalked up to its prototype status.

In a short statement, Mercedes said they have been working on the Project One very “intensively” behind closed doors for the past several months. As a result, they have already logged hundreds of hours testing the model and its various components.

Speaking of the latter, the car’s high-tech powertrain has been subjected to the “toughest [virtual] race track tests” on the dyno at the Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertain facility in Brixworth, England. If that name sounds familiar, it should as it has been responsible for building an assortment of Formula One engines over the years.

Following the successful completion of the dyno tests, the powertrain was installed into a handful of prototypes. They have been undergoing testing at a secret facility in England and will continue to do so. However, Mercedes is getting ahead of spy photographers by releasing their own pictures of the car as they noted the model will draw plenty of attention thanks to its “characteristic F1 sound.”

Mercedes didn’t mention technical specifications, but the concept had a plug-in hybrid powertrain which consisted of a turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 engine and four electric motors. This setup enabled the all-wheel drive hypercar to have over 986 hp (735 kW / 1000 PS) and an electric-only range of 15.5 miles (25 km). The electric range might be laughable, but that’s not the point. The car can rocket from 0-124 mph (0-200 km/h) in less than six seconds and hit a top speed in excess of 217 mph (350 km/h).