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Mercedes-AMG hypercar power not merely ‘inspired’ by F1 engine:: it very much is one

With the Mercedes-AMG hypercar announcement at the 2016 Paris Motor Show came plenty of subjective thought about how much Mercedes would leverage their Formula One technology into a road car.


But the facts were much simpler, and when CarAdvice spoke with Tobias Moers, Chief Executive of Mercedes-AMG, he summed it up very succinctly. “We're not talking about 'inspired'.”

Moers was clear in his meaning: this project puts the AMG hypercar’s powertrain on par with the F1 W07 Formula 1 car. A turbocharged 1.6-litre, 90-degree angle V6 paired with an electric drive and ERS system.

Carbon-fibre construction was noted by Moers as “mandatory”, and we should expect to see active aerodynamics and a five-digit redline too. As Moers noted, “we run that (F1 engine) up to maybe 15,000 reps, maybe we reduce them a little bit for the road.”

This is a lot of working stress for a powertrain, particularly one that has to survive on commercial 98-octane fuels, and so comes the question of reliability.

“We will have to change some things, but if you have a closer look to the Formula 1 engine and the demands - what they have now in the spec book - and you compare the loads of F1 cars we're racing on a track.... compare that one to what we apply for a street-legal car which you use on the track, for sure it's still different but it's not that far away. “

Moers suggested that the Energy Recovery System (ERS) would be more aggressive in the road-car, helping Mercedes-AMG reach their goals. “The task is to have the most efficient hybrid car ever”, said Moers.

The as-yet unnamed hypercar will be a two-seater, built exclusively in left-hand drive. Numbers will be limited, with the total volume not yet set, but confirmed by Moers to be fewer than 300 units.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton will be involved in the dynamic development of the car, which will be revealed in some form or another at a 2017 Motor Show event to coincide with AMG’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

There has so far been one confirmed order and deposit taken for the car, which Mercedes-Benz Australia confirm is from a local, Australian buyer.

We’ll be following the development of this car with huge interest and can’t wait to see what lies in store.

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James Ward

With over 20 years of experience in digital publishing, James Ward has worked within the automotive landscape since 2007 and brings experience from the publishing, manufacturer and lifestyle side of the industry together to spearhead Drive's multi-media content direction.

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