When Mercedes-AMG partnered with Adrian Newey, design head of the Red-Bull Formula 1 team, to build a new hypercar, the world knew it would be something special. Here is a snapshot of what you would find underneath the carbon-fibre sheath that will wrap the Project One.
While we have had a few glimpses of the crazy bodywork, this is the first time we got a peek into what is underneath. And what we saw nearly left us speechless. The engineering geniuses have come together to create a road-legal formula car that can ideally compete with the F1 cars of three-four years ago.
And we say that because the engine has been derived from the F1 dominating Mercedes engine which sits fore of the rear axle. The F1 style intake up top will tower over the driver’s seat feeding the turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 mill. The engine is charged by split electrically-assisted turbochargers that sit on each of the banks and is driven by a single input shaft that runs between the banks.
The hybrid powertrain also has a huge cassette of lithium ion batteries that sit just aft of the front axle which helps in achieving the magical 50:50 weight distribution for the mid-engine setup. The two powertrains are synchronised by a host of electronics and software to provide the highest output possible at every moment.
The inboard suspension setup is straight out of a F1 car, adapted to road usage and should be able to provide more travel to take up road imperfections if not the potholes or speed bumps. Slated to be revealed at Frankfurt in the second week of September, the Project One will certainly redefine hypercars or we might have to cook up a new category for it to fit in! Stay tuned.
