Peter Lyon
November 11, 2022
- The Mercedes-AMG One hybrid hypercar set a new lap record for production cars at the Nürburgring in Germany with a time of 6 minutes 35 seconds.
- The AMG One is rumored to have over 1,000-hp, F1 tech and four electric motors.
- The car was driven by Nürburgring 24-hour winner Maro Engel.
To set a lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany is a huge achievement in the automotive world. Why? Because at 13 miles in length, and with over 74 corners, it’s the longest, most challenging, most grueling race track on the planet. And setting a record there is like laying down the ultimate bragging rights in the industry. It means that you are the quickest. Period.
Over the years, there have been dozens of ongoing battles between carmakers, none more intense than the rivalry between Porsche and Nissan for the quickest production car lap. The Nissan GT-R edged out the 911 Turbo in 2007 but the Porsche has held line honors for the last few years.
But all that aside—the Nurburgring now has a new hero, and it’s from Germany.
With a claimed horsepower figure exceeding 1,000 horsepower, the Mercedes-AMG One hybrid hypercar is virtually a street-legal Formula 1 car with four electric motors.
Nurburgring 24-hour race winner and FIA GT World Cup champion Maro Engel piloted the AMG One to a super fast time of 6:35.183, following the official standard for Nürburgring record runs, which have changed in recent years to utilize the same start/finish line located near the entrance the F1 track next door.
The time set by the AMG One is a new record for production cars on the famous track. This isn’t Engel’s first record though. In 2020, the Mercedes works driver set a production car record of 6:48 in the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, but the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Manthey eclipsed that with a time of 6:43 in 2021. Engel laid down his record-breaking lap on October 28, with parts of the track wet from rain resulting in less-than-perfect driving conditions.
“I didn’t expect that we would be able to set such a lap time with these track conditions. In some crucial areas of the track, it hadn’t dried completely and was tricky,” Engel said in a statement. “That was a special challenge.”
The AMG One is a hybrid hypercar that’s essentially a street-legal Formula 1 car. The 1.6-liter V-6 revs to 11,000 rpm and the powertrain also utilizes four electric motors. Two motors power the front wheels, one is paired with the engine, and another to the turbocharger. Mercedes claims a combined horsepower figure north of 1000 but hasn’t released detailed specs.
OUR THOUGHTS
As someone who has competed in the Nurburgring 24-hour race, it is great to see carmakers going for broke and challenging the Nurburgring again with everything they have. For anyone who enjoys driving, this is a true ‘bucket list’ entry. If you love driving, then this is one track you must drive before you die. Engel’s time is breathtaking. He said the track was “tricky” due to the damp conditions. That translates as a compromised lap which means he could have gone even faster. The mind boggles.
