The $3M Mercedes-AMG ONE Is Not Coming To U.S. And Canada Because Regulations Would Ruin It

We asked Mercedes to clarify if by customers they’re referring to consumers who had / have simply expressed interest in buying the AMG ONE or North American buyers who either placed a down payment or outright paid for a production slot, with a company spokesperson telling Carscoops that it’s the latter – “Actual customers for AMG ONE in the U.S. and Canada.” (Updated 6/2/2022).

After more than one major delay the Mercedes-AMG ONE has finally landed in production form. This might be the most complex and incredible hypercar to ever hit the road but according to Mercedes, those roads won’t be in America or Canada.

Despite all of the well-deserved fanfare around the stunning AMG ONE we never heard anything about when US customers could receive their cars. Our Editor in Chief noticed that and reached out to Mercedes to clarify the situation. They’ve now confirmed to Carscoops that Mercedes-AMG’s hypercar with the F1-derived 1,049 HP 1.6-liter V6 engine will not be homologated for the U.S. market.

Mercedes told us that it communicated with U.S. and Canadian customers of the brand today, June 1, 2022, to inform them that the ONE will not be coming to North America after all. The entire text of the letter it sent is attached below so sit back and let Mercedes explain why we / they won’t be getting (okay, seeing) the hypercar. Mind you, Mercedes says that all 275 cars it plans to build have been spoken for with net pricing in Europe starting from €2.75 million or about US$2.93 million at today’s exchange rates before country-specific taxes.

Read: 2023 Mercedes-AMG ONE Is A Street-Legal Monster With A 1,049 HP F1-Derived 1.6-Liter V6 Hybrid

“The AMG-ONE was developed with a single goal in mind — a direct technology transfer of the World Championship winning Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 E PERFORMANCE drive unit — conceived for the road. The adaption of a complete Formula 1 drive unit in a road car is unprecedented.

With 1,000+ horsepower, four electric motors, and a blistering top speed of more than 217 mph, every component of the AMG ONE has been designed to redefine high performance. While its engine has its origins in competition, constant development and refinement have left us with a difficult decision for the U.S. market.

In order to preserve the unique character of its F1 powertrain, we have concluded that meeting U.S. road standards would significantly compromise its performance and its overall driving character. We have taken the strategic decision to offer the car for road usage in Europe, where it meets applicable regulations.”

If this is the first time that US customers are hearing about this, which it shouldn’t be, we can understand if it’s more than a little off-putting. The AMG ONE could very well end up being the very last internal combustion hypercar of this sort that Mercedes will ever build.

Still, we won’t be completely surprised if a few eventually make their way over to the States through the federal government’s “Show and Display” exemption law. That regulation allows the importation of vehicles just like the AMG ONE but limits them to just 2,500-miles of driving each year.

Other cars that have been imported under this specific law include the McLaren Speedtail, the Koenigsegg One:1, and the Bugatti EB110. We just hope it won’t take too long before we see the ONE stateside.