In the video presented on youtube by Car Spy Media, a Mercedes-AMG One drives a few fast laps on the Nurburgring racetrack, probably training for the attempt to break the record for the fastest lap for a production car.
Photo: Captured screen Youtube car Spy Media
Twenty years ago, supercars were racing each other to see which one could reach a higher top speed. Today, top speed no longer plays the most important role but agility. And that’s why the today standard for hypercars is the fastest lap on the long loop of the Nurburgring.
Car Spy Media published today on youtube a 6-minute video in which the new Mercedes-AMG One enters the Nurburgring circuit and performs a few fast laps probably with the aim to make some settings for a future record lap.
The car is initially captured at the entrance of the racetrack and at minute 0:24 you can read in German “Nicht ofen (Don’t open)” on the rear right side. Signed Dale and Ibrahim. Two seconds later, at 0:26 it can be read on the rear left side this time in English: “Remove carefully. Thermocouples on Tech panel. See Dale or Ibrahim”.
We don’t know Dale or Ibrahim but they are probably the engineers responsible for the various settings of the new Mercedes hypercar.
Then, at 0:56, the aerodynamic show begins. The driver presses a button on the steering wheel that opens the vents on the front fenders and extends the rear wing. The driver continues with a few drivetrain settings from the bottom right hand button on the steering wheel and then enters the track and starts to complete a few very fast laps. In the next few minutes you can see that the Mercedes-AMG One is very fast in the corners and the body roll is virtually zero, just like an F1 car.
At the moment, the record at the Nurburgring for production cars is held by the Porsche 911 GT2 RS with 6:43.30 minutes, registered on June 14, 2021. But this Porsche could be hardly named a series production car because it features Manthey Performance Kit, with changes to the chassis, aerodynamics and brakes.
Second place is taken by the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series with 6:43.62 minutes achieved in October 2020, 1.3 seconds faster than the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ.
We don’t know how fast an F1 car is on the Nurburgring long loop but in 2018 a Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo with Timo Bernhard at the wheel achieved an incredible 5:19.546 minutes. We’re not making any predictions but we think the Mercedes-AMG One can go a good few seconds under the record set by the Porsche 911 GT2 RS with Manthey-Performance kit that holds the series production car record.
With active aerodynamics and push-rod suspension, a 1.6-litre V6 engine with 574 HP taken from the F1 car with electrically assisted turbocharging and two more electric motors at the front axle, the Mercedes-AMG one develops 1063 HP in total. The AMG One reaches 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and 200 km/h in just 7 seconds with Launch Control in Race, Race Plus and Strat 2 modes. The Race2 and Strat2 programs are dedicated exclusively for the racetrack and the suspension is lowered by 37 mm in front and 30 mm at the rear. In the Strat2 programs the suspension is even firmer than in Race Plus.