DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: AMG fires 1000hp hypercar engine

The Mercedes-AMG hypercar codenamed Project One has passed another milestone with its Formula 1-derived engine running for the first time.

The car remains on course to make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September and begin on-road prototype testing immediately afterwards.

If it does stay on schedule, then deliveries of the left-hand drive two-seater will start early in 2019 to less than 300 lucky – and rich – buyers including six Australians who will have to shell out a purchase price somewhere beyond two million Euros ($A2.9m) plus tax.

At the Detroit motor show overnight AMG boss Tobias Moers confirmed the 1.6-litre V6 petrol-hybrid powertrain would produce “at least” 1000 horsepower (746kW), drive its front wheels via electric motors and have the ability to run for at least 25km on electricity alone.

However, he declined to reveal what sort of performance such an extraordinary level of power would deliver, citing commercial competitive reasons.

Read full coverage: 2017 Detroit motor show

“There are others on the market and I don’t want to put that on the table,” he said. “I do have our targets and we have a clear understanding what is the target, but I don’t want the competitors to now about that.”

He confirmed detuning and retuning the F1 engine for road use had proved to be project’s biggest challenge.

“We just really fired up the first engine running at lower revs and idle, which is a revolution for a Formula 1 engine not idling under 3000 revs. It is complicated.

“Getting a Formula 1 street legal in terms of emissions and things like that is a real challenge. It’s going to be a five digit number [10,000rpm plus], the revs of that engine.

“The powertrain is done by our F1 guys at Brixworth [powertrain headquarters for Mercedes-AMG F1 team],” he added. “So I have my meetings every week with these guys. I fly more to England than I drive to my office.

“We work closely together with these guys because they know all about the powertrain.”

He confirmed the hypercar would have a smaller version of an LMP1 sports car-style fin running back from the cockpit and that it would take active aerodynamics on to a new level from the GT R for AMG.

“Active aero is the key,” he said.

Moers said the works was worth it because of the goal of the car to have a true link with the F1 program.

“There was no alternative in my perspective,” Moers said. “In my understanding of AMG and Mercedes-Benz bringing a hypercar to market it should be something really innovative, really different in terms of technology.

“Bringing another hypercar with a V8 or V12 is just another one. This is much more outstanding, as well it’s a pinnacle of technology you can execute today.”

Moers also confirmed the hypercar will not be named R50 when it goes into production, as has been widely reported.

“No, no, no that’s not going to be the name,” Moers said. “When we talk with customers we call it AMG Project One.”

He also confirmed that the venue for production had not been decided, with options including both AMG’s headquarters at Affalterbach in Germany as well as potentially in England where the F1 team is based.

“We are discussing now where we are producing it, it’s not finally done.”

One thing Moers was unenthusiastic about was how the small build run would be divvied up, with demand definitely outstripping supply.

“That’s something I don’t want to be involved in, but I have to. We discuss with our markets. They bring us prospects, we put all the prospects on the list and finally we have to discuss with all the involved people and they have to make the call.”

The six orders from Australia include the very first lodged for the hypercar immediately after its existence was announced at the Paris motor show last September.