Mercedes-AMG One finally revealed, eight Australian buyers confirmed

Mercedes-AMG has confirmed eight Australian-based customers will be taking delivery of the ultra-exclusive and massively anticipated plug-in hybrid One hypercar which was finally revealed in production form today.

After a protracted and almost unprecedented five-year gestation, the German car maker has finally detailed Lewis Hamilton’s company car, along with the revelation that Australia has been allocated 3.0 percent of the total 275-car production run.

The news highlights the significance of the Australian AMG market which was, until recently, the largest in the world per capita, but don’t expect to see all eight turning up to cars and coffee any time soon.

Regardless of the nationality of the buyer, all 275 cars will be delivered at the AMG headquarters in Affalterbach Germany and where customers decide to send their vehicles after that is entirely their choice.

Mercedes expects a majority of the eight to arrive Down Under at some point, but the exact number is unknown at this stage.

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With the official unveiling of the first production car today, Mercedes-AMG has confirmed the hard figures from the F1-derived 1.6-litre turbo hybrid drivetrain including an eye-watering maximum system power output of 782kW and a top speed that’s limited to 352km/h.

Its maker claims a zero-100km/h acceleration time of 2.9 seconds and a 0-200km/h dash in 7.0s – about the same as a Mini Cooper S needs to get to 100km/h.

Despite the significant delays, the €2.8m (A$4.2m) price has remained the same since it was announced, although Australian customers will be paying a fair chunk more on top of that figure if the car’s home is to be Down Under.

Throughout the various delays and global crises, the AMG One trail appeared to go cold on more than one occasion prompting speculation that the entire project may be shelved or cancelled altogether, but Mercedes has been keeping its most valued customers very well informed.

In a series of candid update videos, AMG has been frequently contacting is One customers to assure them that their cars will be delivered along with exclusive information regarding development and manufacturing.

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In much the same way Toyota has been sending coffee machines to delayed RAV4 customers, AMG One owners have been receiving personal video messages from Mercedes-AMG board of management chairman Philipp Schiemer.

Contrary to popular rumour, the AMG One’s engine is not lifted directly from Hamilton’s car. While the V6 turbo-hybrid unit was developed by High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, UK, there are a number of key differences to adapt the engine and transmission for road use.

Mechanical valve springs replace the pneumatic F1 components with a corresponding reduction in maximum RPM of 4000 rpm limiting the road version to a maximum of 11,000 rpm.

A 270-bar direct injection system provides fuel for maximum performance and is the same as the F1 system, but a second port-injection system has been added for reduced emissions and fuel consumption at part throttle.

Like the F1 car, the engine is equipped with two electric motors – one to drive the turbocharger during low exhaust-gas-pressure conditions, as well as recouping energy during high-boost. This feature also removes the necessity of a waste-gate or variable vane technology.

In addition to drive sent to the rear wheels however, the AMG One has a 120kW electric motor on each front wheel for extra dynamic power control and all-wheel drive.

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Despite its incredible power output, the AMG One engine is EU6 compliant thanks largely to four metal core catalytic converters, a pair of ceramic core units and another pair of particulate filters. Fuel consumption is said to be as little as 8.7 litres per 100km on a combined cycle.

Electrical power generation and recuperation is almost identical to the F1 car but the AMG One is equipped with a bigger lithium ion battery. With a capacity of 8.4kWh, the road car has a pure-electric range of 18km or alternatively, the battery can be used in unison with petrol power for maximum performance.

A sophisticated cooling system maintains an optimum operational temperature of 45 degrees for the battery, regardless of the frequency of charging and discharging and its 800-volt system is only equaled by Porsche’s Taycan and the Lucid Air.

A seven-speed transmission is completely new and although Mercedes-AMG refers to it as a ‘manual’, shift-rods and its four-plate carbon fibre clutch are hydraulically operated and ‘automated’.

Gears can be selected manually using the steering wheel-mounted paddles and the flat-bottomed carbon fibre wheel also allows access to the nine-stage traction control settings as well as six driving modes.

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Race Safe prioritises electric power until more power is required at which point the engine fires. Race mode also prioritises electric but keeps the engine running for charging duties only. EV is for electric-only driving, Race Plus is for track only and brings in active aero, lowered adaptive suspension and full power from all motors, while the Strat 2 is an even more focused version of Race Plus.

While the chassis and suspension differ significantly from the F1 car, the AMG One is very much more related to racing cars than traditional high-performance road cars. Curiously, Mercedes has not detailed the steering system.

An aluminium and carbon monocoque incorporates a race-derived load-bearing engine and gearbox for ultimate stiffness while minimising weight – 1695kg DIN kerb – while suspension is courtesy of racing pushrods and coil springs in all corners. Adaptive dampers enable three modes as well as the option of lowering the ride height by as much as 37mm.

Wheels are forged alloy with a carbon fibre cover to increase aerodynamic efficiency and measure 19-inches at the front and 20-inch at the rear. Rubber is supplied by Michelin and a special Cup 2R M01 version of its esteemed Pilot Sport tyre.

Brakes discs are unsurprisingly carbon ceramic and measure 398mm at the front with six-piston calipers and 380mm at the tail end with four-pot calipers.

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Visually, the One differs little from the pre-production version that was driven out to an eager audience at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show and employs F1-style aerodynamics. Perceptible downforce can be generated at speeds as low as 50km/h says Mercedes thanks to a combination of traditional fluid dynamics and active aero.

A Highway mode maintains the lowest drag for maximum fuel efficiency and reduced noise, but in Track mode the front active diffuser, rear wing and rear flap deploy for maximum effect, while the front louvres open lowering pressure inside the wheel arches. A third DRS mode adds to the Track mode with the option to retract the rear wing with a push button, reducing downforce by 20 percent.

Despite its close connection to hardcore racing machines, Mercedes-AMG has managed to weave in a little comfort for the One’s occupants. Fixed racing seats have a backrest angle option of either 25-degrees or 30-degrees, the driver’s pedal-box is adjustable for leg length as is the passenger’s foot-rest.

A small storage compartment is incorporated into the centre tunnel along with start-switch and a pair of USB charging sockets. Two 10-inch digital displays provide the central information screen and driver’s instrument cluster with graphics unique to the One. A third screen replaces a conventional rear-view mirror.