Mercedes-Benz AMG One Engine Rated at 31,690 Miles Before a Rebuild Is Needed (Still)
You read that right. The Mercedes-Benz AMG One engine won’t last very long before needing to be rebuilt. Mercedes-Benz released this information back in 2017, but the automaker worked to improve the dismal number during development. That didn’t happen, and the AMG One hypercar is still in production, but is 30,000 miles that bad?
The Mercedes-Benz AMG One hypercar has been in production for a while
A hypercar isn’t an ordinary car by any means, but the Mercedes-Benz AMG One will be even more finicky than initially anticipated. According to Autocar, the AMG One will finally go into production in the middle of 2022. Mercedes-Benz reached out to customers recently who have been on a waiting list for the hypercar.
The first of 275 units will finally commence in 2022, after long delays. The inspiration for $2.6 million AMG One, Project One, was revealed four years ago. Since then, there have been many delays on the project, slowing production down at every turn. Mercedes-Benz says that the design of the AMG One is complicated and has proved to be harder to create than initially anticipated.
The Mercedes-Benz AMG One hypercar is supposed to water down a Formula 1 derived hybrid powertrain capable of driving on the streets. However, the automaker forged ahead. The AMG One was seen testing on the roads earlier this year which was a good sign.
What is causing the delays for the Mercedes-Benz AMG One hypercar?
There is a lot of pressure on the Mercedes-Benz AMG One hypercar. It is supposed to showcase the new AMG hybrid technology in a neat little package, which has proven much harder than anticipated. Mercedes says that the One is supposed to be a direct rival to the Ferrari SF90, and it certainly has the potential to do that.
The 1,000 hp all-wheel drive AMG One is supposed to use a hybrid 1.6L V6 engine adapted from the winning 2017 Formula 1 car. Autocar suggests that the reason for the lengthy delays has to do with the complex hybrid powertrain to line up with WLTP emissions standards. The F1-inspired engine usually idles around 5,000rpm but needs to be watered down to around 1,200rpm. This proved to be a “tremendous challenge,” Autocar said.
Due to these complications, Motor Authority says that the Mercedes-Benz AMG One hypercar is only rated for around 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) before needing a rebuild. This fact was initially brought up back in 2017 but doesn’t seem to have improved since then. However, 30,000 is still a significant amount of miles for such a unique car. Many cars of this caliber will never reach that many miles since the owners barely drive anywhere.
On the flip side, 30,000 miles isn’t that bad
30,000 miles is still a lot of miles for a Formula 1 car engine. For the most part, these engines see about a tenth of that before needing replacement after a race. Those buying the AMG One aren’t going to be road-tripping around the country in the hypercar. Looking at the mileage on many supercars or hypercars, a significant amount of vehicles show less than 5,000 miles on the odometer. In fact, many of the supercars and hypercars have less than 1,000 miles.
So while 30,000 miles might seem like a low amount at first, it’s doable. It is likely that another part of the car, such as the clutch, will need replacing long before 30,000 miles. Putting a Formula 1 car into a streetcar sounds easier than it is, apparently. The Mercedes-Benz AMG One hypercar is sold out already, but hopefully will be hitting the streets next year.