When it comes to insane speed on the streets, most people think Bugatti Chiron. However, there is a new hypercar in town that projects top speed. Under the internal working name of Project One, this Mercedes is a hybrid of a race car that will be road legal. According to Tobias Moers, the AMG boss, Project One will be the first road worthy pure F1 technology.

The powertrain engineering incorporates four electric motors to complement the turbocharged V-6 engine. Brixworth is the designers of the combustion engines. They have dominated the F1 Championships three times in a row for manufacturers and drivers. However, the engine is 43% thermal efficient meaning it more gasoline it burns the more its capacity increases.

At the rear end, there are two electric motors and a combustion engine. They are responsible for powering the rear wheels. The front mounted electric motors produce 240kW which is exclusive for front wheels. This power can drive the car up to 25 kilometers.

What to watch out for

There have been various hybrid sports cars on the streets. So, what makes the Project One different from Porsche 918 Spyder or LaFerrari? The powertrain of this car is a direct replica of the Formula 1 program. However, it is heavily modified to make it road legal.

The engine will be more durable than most street legal vehicles. Using the car as street-legal reduces the load compared to how the engine is used on an F1 track. The engineers project that the engine will have more power than the F1 racer.

The car revs up to 11,000 rpm which is slightly lower than in Formula One which revs up to 13,500 rpm. Also, the idle speed of this car is 1,100 rpm compared to 4,000 rpm in F1. The car will undergo a major transmission and engine maintenance. The AMG recommends the maintenance after every 50,000 km.

Mercedes-Tech

Now, the technology backing up the Project One is overwhelming. The 8-speed manual gearbox system is automated. The car features motor generation unit-heat (MGU-H) and motor generation unit – kinetic (MGU-K). The MGU-K can drive the rear wheels using the electric power.

The MGU-K can convert heat energy and mechanical energy into electrical energy. Also, the MGU-H can convert heat from the exhaust into electrical energy. The energy can be reserved and used later on.

The battery in the car has more energy density than its F1 technology. The battery using lithium ion cell technology powers the four electric motors. The strategic placement of the batteries distributes the weight evenly and lower the center of gravity.

Final Take

The Mercedes Project One will probably be the first street car with the turbulent jet ignition. The AMG boss projects that the car will have different driving modes. The overall weight is also not clear. However, they will be going for a whopping $2 million or more, and the release is set to arrive not before 2019. This 1,000bhp hypercar will be one of a kind after its release.