Mercedes-AMG Project One hits track for testing

Normally when you see spy shots of a car in camouflage testing in track, they were taken by a photographer who snaps unreleased cars and sells the pictures to media outlets.

But these photos of the Mercedes-AMG Project One were taken by Mercedes, in a rather voyeurish manner.

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The AMG Project One has been inching closer to being reality for its buyers, with Mercedes testing the hybrid hypercar more frequently, something it says is becoming harder to keep secret.

“Today it turns out to be more difficult to keep this testing confidential: the camouflaged prototypes of the Mercedes-AMG hypercar are still being driven on closed off test grounds and racetracks,” Mercedes says.

“However, because of their characteristic F1 sound they are hard to keep from the public.”

Releasing official images of the car track testing probably isn’t helping with the secrecy.

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That ‘F1 sound’ comes thanks to the Project One’s hybrid drivetrain, which is a 1.6-litre V6 with two electric motors, essentially a Formula One engine (thus the name) adapted for the road.

AMG says the Project One should be good for around 740kW, not a far throw from one of Mercedes’ actual F1 cars.

Mercedes had been dyno testing the engines, which can rev to 11,000rpm, before the prototypes started getting around on tracks. The one seen in the pictures here is a ‘secret location’ in the UK.

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“The successful completion of the dyno tests was followed by the installation of the highly complex powertrain into the first prototypes, which since then have been driving around unnoticed on a secret test ground in England.

“The whole powertrain including all hybrid components underwent the toughest race track tests on the high-performance dyno tests of HPP's engine specialists in Brixworth.”

Only 275 cars are to be built, with a price tag coming in at about $5 million.