Mercedes-AMG Readies Hypercar for 2018

Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit says it will unveil its upcoming AMG hypercar this autumn at the Frankfurt auto show ahead of the car's launch in 2018.

Codenamed Project One, the all-wheel-drive hybrid vehicle will team a detuned version of Mercedes’ 1.6-liter Formula One engine, an electrically driven front axle and an F1-style kinetic energy recovery system. The combination is expected to generate about 1,000 hp with an all-electric range of 15 miles.

AMG boss Tobias Moers says the car will mark the “pinnacle of what is currently technologically feasible” for a street legal model. Production will be limited to 300 units, with pricing expected to start at about €2 million ($2.1 million).

Mercedes released sketches of the vehicle, which will be built on a carbon fiber monocoque architecture, earlier this month at CES (the former Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. The images indicate a mid-engine design with a large roof scoop and louvre vents on the rear upper panel.