The Mercedes-AMG One supercar set a record Nurburgring lap time of 6 minutes 35.18sec on October 28, 2022 with Maro Engel at the wheel. However, conditions then weren’t ideal, with damp patches in places.
So the team had another crack under more favourable conditions and managed to improve the time by five seconds. Moreover, the new time of 6 minutes and 29.09 seconds is under 6.30. That makes it the first street-legal production car to break that time for the 20.83km long configuration.
AMG broke its own record during Maro Engel’s third timed lap on a dry Nordschleife with ambient temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.
To recap, the Mercedes-AMG One car uses a 1.6-litre V6 F1-dervied engine along with four electric motors, for an overall system output of 781kW. It’s no featherweight, the 8.4kWh battery contributing to weight of just under 1700kg. Zero to 100 isn’t mindblowing either at a claimed 2.9sec. However, key to its speed around the Nurburgring is its aero package.
Read more about the Mercedes-AMG One
Just 275 units are being produced at the Coventry facility run by Canadian firm Multimatic. The engine comes from just down the road, out of the same facility that builds the Mercedes F1 engines. The One was always envisaged as an F1 car for the road.
As to what might beat it? Perhaps Aston Martin’s Valkyrie or McLaren’s forthcoming W1. Or maybe the LaFerrari successor? RB17 and Lotus Evija X are ruled out because they’re track cars only.
Other possibilities include electric hypercars like the Rimac Nevera R or Porsche’s upcoming Mission X.
As to beating the overall record established by the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo in 2018, that’s not likely to fall any time soon (5 minutes and 19.6 seconds). However, the electric Volkswagen ID.R driven by Romain Dumas made a valiant effort in 2019 with a 6:05 lap time.
