- Mercedes-Benz AMG One is first production car to set sub-6:30 lap time at the Nürburgring
- The new time is six seconds quicker than the previous record which was also set by the One
- The driver for both record runs was Maro Engel
The Mercedes-Benz AMG One was already the fastest production car around Germany's Nürburgring racetrack, but now it has gone and broken its own record.
With German racing driver and AMG brand ambassador Maro Engel behind the wheel, the One needed just 6:29.090 to lap the full 12.9-mile Nordschleife during an attempt on Sept. 23. Engel was also the driver when the previous record of 6:35.183 was set in 2022.
Because of the racetrack's long distance, Engel had to change his style of driving so as to not deplete the battery of the One's hybrid system too quickly. In some cases, he took his foot off the accelerator earlier than he normally would, and let the car coast. The points where he did this were identified during testing on a simulator.
According to Engel, changes to the Nürburgring made in the two years since the previous record was set actually lengthen lap times by a few tenths of a second. However, he was still able to go much faster in the second attempt due to more favorable surface conditions. During the original attempt, he was out on a partially damp track.
For the record run, the One was set in its Race Plus drive mode. This mode is designed for track use and in addition to lowering the car (37 mm at the front and 30 mm at the rear), it also dials the aerodynamic and chassis settings to the max. Engel also used the car's drag reduction system during the run. The tires were the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R MO design that come as standard on the One and developed specifically for the hypercar.
According to AMG, Engel's latest run demonstrates the true performance of the One.
“Two years ago, the conditions were not ideal, and some sections of the track were still a little damp,” AMG CEO Michael Schiebe said in a statement. “Today we were able to demonstrate the maximum potential of the AMG One.”
Mercedes-AMG One sets 6:29.090 Nürburgring lap time - Sept. 2024
The car is powered by the same engine found in the current crop of cars raced by the Mercedes F1 team. It's a turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6, specifically the unit from the championship-winning race car from the 2015 season. The One actually features a more sophisticated powertrain than the F1 car, though.
While in the race car there's only the turbocharged V-6 and a motor-generator driving the rear wheels, plus a second motor-generator integrated with the turbocharger, the One has two additional motor-generators. These drive each of the front wheels and provide the One with all-wheel drive. Peak output is 1,049 hp, though the car is relatively heavy for a two-seater, weighing in at 3,737 pounds.
AMG will only build a total 275 examples, each priced at 2.275 million euros (approximately $2.5 million). Even though a lot of the build slots went to customers in the U.S., AMG wasn't able to certify the car and its finicky F1 engine for sale here without a substantial loss in performance, and thus isn't selling the One here. There is some hope for U.S. customers in the form of the Show or Display rule. Under the rule, non-U.S. certified cars with historical or technological significance can be granted permission for private import, albeit with restrictions, such as annual mileage limited to 2,500 miles.
