Automotive
Mercedes-AMG One Powered By F1 Sets New Nurburgring Lap Record
(CTN News) – At the Nurburgring, the Mercedes-AMG One hypercar, powered by a modified Formula One engine, set a new lap record for a production car.
Powered by a V6 turbo-hybrid engine derived from the 2016 Mercedes-AMG F1 engine, the car set a time of 6:30.705 to beat the previous record held by a Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR.
On October 28 this year, Mercedes GT3 driver Maro Engel set the fastest lap just before the track closed at 5:15pm local time. Even though the autumnal conditions were far from ideal, Engel saved his best run for last because the track was improving with every run.
Engel remarked, “That was truly an unforgettable experience.” In the absence of complete drying in some key areas of the track, it was difficult to set such a lap time, which was a special challenge. I did not expect to be able to achieve such a lap time under these conditions. During pre-tests, we attempted to determine the most appropriate deployment strategy.
Like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on their race weekends, I also had to ensure that the electric power of the hybrid drive was utilized as efficiently as possible. That is not easy, especially with this length of track. In addition, the DRS function had to be optimized. But that is also a real Formula One experience.”
Lap records at the Nurburgring are often regarded as the ultimate test of a car’s handling rather than Top Trump-style figures such as maximum speed and time from 0-60.
In terms of specifications, the Mercedes-AMG One, which produces over 1,000 horsepower, matched the 275 production models that have already been sold to customers for over $2.7 million. As part of the demonstration, Michelin road-going tyres were also included, similar to those that will be used on the final production model.
It was over 30 seconds faster than the Formula One lap record set by Ferrari driver Clay Regazzoni in 1975, despite the two-kilometer long layout used at the time.
Mercedes-AMG’ new production car lap record raises the question of whether Aston Martin will attempt to set an official Nurburgring time with the Adrian Newey-designed Valkyrie.
According to theory, the Valkyrie’s underfloor aerodynamics should make it faster than the Mercedes-AMG One, but no time has been set for it.
How much do Mercedes-AMG cost?
The 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 43 has a starting MSRP of $92,500. That isn’t the highest starting price in the luxury sports car class, but it’s definitely up there. The price climbs to $102,600 for the GT 53 model. Options can raise the price of either model by thousands of dollars.
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