A specially modified Porsche 911 GT2 RS established the production vehicle lap record at the Nurburgring more than a year ago—a long time for such a record to stand. Mercedes must have been irritated by this. It has driven its AMG One hypercar on the Nordschleife, setting a new lap record of 6:35.183.
With racing driver Maro Engel at the wheel, the F1-powered Mercedes trounced the Porsche by 7.82 seconds. The new record is particularly astounding given that the former leader was outfitted with a kit designed specifically for recording the quickest possible lap time at the famed track. The Mercedes, however, was not. The only alteration apparently received was slightly more wheel camber but within the maximum factory tolerance. In principle, a vehicle like the record-breaking AMG One may still be delivered.
In principle, this shouldn’t be too shocking given that the Mercedes is powered mostly by a 1.6-litre V6bFormula 1 engine converted for street usage. In reality, though, it is rather stunning. The automobile does, in fact, have 1,063 horsepower. It’s also rather heavy. The AMG One weighs 3,737 pounds thanks to a plethora of emissions equipment that includes no less than six catalytic converters. Colin Chapman should reconsider his catchphrase.
Four electric motors, a bevvy of accompanying power electronics, an 8.4-kWh liquid-cooled battery pack, and a 3.7 kW onboard charger round out the massive package.
Mercedes were also quick to mention that the run was done in less-than-ideal conditions, with sections of the track still damp from the rain. Having said that, we don’t expect to see them do any more representative runs in the near future, especially since they beat the standing record by 8 seconds.
