Mercedes-AMG reveals powertrain details of upcoming hypercar

Mercedes-AMG has revealed powertrain-related details of its upcoming hypercar, which has been codenamed as Project One. The automaker will be unveiling the car at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017.

The Mercedes-AMG Project One will borrow its engine setup from Mercedes' Formula 1 race car. It will thus be powered by a 1.6-litre, turbocharged V6 engine that can develop around 740 BHP. Interestingly, Mercedes is claiming that this engine can deliver a thermal efficiency of over 40%. This figure is noteworthy as most performance-oriented cars can extract an efficiency of around 20%.

The said gasoline engine will be complemented by a pair of electric motors. One motor will be connected to the engine and will send power to the rear wheels, while the other will be responsible for spinning the turbocharger's compressor and thus reduce lag. Additionally, it will also recapture wasted exhaust energy. This entire setup is similar to what is seen in a Formula 1 race car.

However, the Project One will get a major differentiating factor. It will be equipped with a couple of electric motors that will power the front wheels. This addition will provide an all-wheel drive setup to the car, similar to the arrangement seen in various other hypercars like the Porsche 918 Spyder. This engine-motor combination is cumulatively expected to deliver a power output of over 1,000 BHP. Transmission duties will be taken care of by an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The front-mounted electric motors will also be capable of driving the car in a pure electric mode, thus functioning as a front wheel drive EV. Mercedes-AMG is expecting an all-electric range of 15 miles (24 km) for the Project One.

The entire powering setup will be mounted on to the tub of the car and will thus be a part of load structure of the vehicle. This arrangement has also been inspired by the company's F1 cars. The automaker hasn't yet mentioned the official weight of the car, though it is expected to tip the scales at under 3,000 pounds (around 1,360 kg).

Mercedes-AMG has confirmed that only 275 units of the Project One hypercar will be built, with all of them being sold out already. Deliveries are expected to commence by the end of 2018 or early 2019.

Source: Motor Authority