2018 Mercedes-AMG hypercar will develop around 1.000 hp while its production run will be limited to 200 or 300 units, Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers has confirmed at the Los Angeles motor show.
Speaking to Autocar, Moers has admitted the 1000bhp figure, but steered clear of recent rumors announcing in excess of 1.200 hp for the Mercedes-AMG flagship, due in 2018. The new model will be a closed, all-carbonfibre, mid-engined two-seater. The design target for the hypercar was to create “the most efficient hypercar with an outstanding driving dynamic capability, not necessarily the most powerful – in every respect”. The car’s body will be styled around a carbonfibre monocoque similar to that used in F1, with software and technology harnessed from Mercedes’ F1 W07 racer.
“We are going to create an AMG performance hybrid featuring our Formula 1 drivetrain technology. Under the lead of AMG, our performance companies will join forces and create the most efficient and, at the same time, the best-performing and most spectacular AMG of all time; some might even call it a hypercar,” added Mercedes-AMG’s head of research and development, Thomas Weber.
Mercedes-AMG’s hypercar will be powered by the “entire current Formula 1 powertrain”, according to officials. This confirms its 1.6-litre capacity and the use of both forms of energy recovery system found in modern F1 cars: the MGU-K that converts mechanical and heat energy into electrical energy that can be stored for later deployment, and the MGU-H system that takes heat from the exhaust and uses it to create electrical energy.
“But no matter what you call it, it will definitely show how we will take our performance brand into the future with extremely efficient and intelligent drivetrain technology. Of course, there will be no compromises in terms of the emotional appeal of this car,” said Weber.
Source: Autocar
