It seems as if talks of BMW building a supercar will never cease. Every time the topics of the BMW M8 or M1 come up, the conversation almost always leads to BMW building a supercar, or never building one. Fans are obsessed with this idea and have been begging BMW to do so for a long time. Turns out, Mercedes-AMG seems to have heard similar calls from its fanbase and it’s making a supercar. Except that the folks in Affalterbach are taking it one step further and making a hypercar instead. This Mercedes-AMG Project One has been unveiled and will make its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show later this week.
Some will argue that the BMW i8 is a supercar, as it sports an exotic powertrain that’s mounted in the middle of the car and it uses a carbon fiber tub, like a McLaren. It also has crazy doors and wild looks. Though, it isn’t particularly super. This Mercedes-AMG Project One will have very super performance, indeed. Some would say hyper performance…Okay, I’ll see myself out.
All stupid jokes aside, this Mercedes-AMG Project One seems like it could be one of the most exciting road-going hypercars to ever hit public streets. Firstly, it looks like a proper hypercar. Maybe it’s looks aren’t as flamboyant or as pretty as the BMW i8 but it looks every bit as exciting as, say, something like the McLaren P1. It’s low, mean and angry, with scoops and gills everywhere. But the most noticeable aspect of its exterior has to be that roof-mounted intake that leads into a hilariously massive roof fin. It sort of makes the car look like Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy. It does look cool, though, and like a proper racing car.
On the inside, it looks like Mercedes-AMG decided to mix and match its Formula One car’s cabin with its road car technology. So you still get the dual screen setup of its road cars, one for the instrument panel and one for infotainment, but the rest is full-on race car. The steering wheel is basically a Formula One rectangular wheel with an airbag and it has enough switches and buttons on it to make it seem like it controls a space shuttle. Not sure what those could possibly be for on a road car but they sure look cool. The rest of the cabin is carbon fiber, with some leather here and there, and there are more fun switches and buttons that make it seem like a genuine race car cockpit. Just one from the future, of course.
To be fair to Mercedes-AMG, though, it isn’t just inspired by the Formula One car. It almost is the Mercedes-AMG Formula One car. Its powertrain is almost the same as in the car Lewis Hamilton races in. It uses a revised-for-road-use variant of the same electrically turbocharged, 1.6-litre V6 that’s used in the Mercedes-AMG W08 EQ Power+ race car. It’s also paired with two electric motors, a MGU-K (motor generation unit – kinetic) and MGU-H (motor generation unit – heat), as well as a KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), just like the Formula One car. All of that power is send through an eightpseed SPEEDSHIFT automated transmission to the rear wheels.
The biggest difference, though, between the Project One and the F1 car is the fact that the former is all-wheel drive. So while that F1-derived hybrid powertrain sends power to the rear wheels, there will be two electric motors at the front that power the front wheels. That gives it real-time torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, just like the BMW i8, only more powerful. Total system output power is said to be over 1,000 hp. That allows it to get from 0-124 mph in under six seconds and will have a top speed of 217 mph. That’s remarkably quick.
This new Mercedes-AMG Project One is the exact sort of car BMW fans wish their favorite brand would make. Admittedly, it’s a bit easier for Mercedes-AMG to do, as it already has a Formula One team in place. BMW doesn’t, so this sort of tech would be very expensive to make without such a team. However, it is really impressive and its presence might spring BMW to attempt a supercar in the future.
So Beautiful!!!! Why can’t Audi and BMW make a car like this? This is why Mercedes Benz is ahead of it’s competition! The Best or Nothing!!!! <3
You’re kidding right ? VAG has made the Porsche 918, the Lamborghini Centenario and the Bugatti Chiron the lest 5 years alone. Literally nobody makes more high-end sport cars than them.
but i’m only talking about the big 3 germans audi, bmw and mercedes. now we’ve seen mercedes done it. audi and bmw????
VAG, BMW AG and Daimler it’s the same thing stop playing stupid. And don’t you have a Mercedes blog to comment on or something btw ?
this is a public blog isn’t? i can comment wherever and whenever i want. i even see your comments in carscoops so what’s the big deal?
I know you can, i’m legit curious because i see lots of Merc fans here like they don’t have a platform
well you know merc fans. they’re everywhere. just like bmw fans yourself.
Ignorant comment. “Whenever or wherever I want”..like you’re a big shot or something.
Nobody gives a shit what you think. Get over yourself.
wow i didn’t know that i can express my own opinion. fuckin prick.
BMW will make a supercar after the i8S and i8 spyder just give it few more years it will come. not sure about hypercar but they can.
they better! i want to see more hypercar competition!
Where did you see a “hypercar”? Videogame?
umm you’re looking at it.
that and actually. on the streets, highway or wherever a random road i go to. given in few more months time i’d probably might see the amg project one anywhere. hence they’re already soldout in 275 units.
Good luck. I live in a city of 7 million, no LaFerrari, no Porsche or McLaren hybrids. 275 units & you’ll see this cruising?! The best or nothing? You’ll see nothing. I do see i8s, Wraiths. They exist.
sucks to be you.
I’m not the one on a BMW page whining about an imaginary car. Am I?
well you’re one of the bmw fans that are losing shit by looking at the amg project one. i’m even looking at other bimmer fans comments depressed of why bmw can’t make a hypercar.
I don’t give a rat’sass about Mercedes or their magical unicorn, never have, gave up on them when they didn’t produce the C111 but BMW did produce the M1. What is lost shit is looking for an imaginary “hypercar” (wtf is that?!) out of a company that has NEVER produced one. Grow up.
but bmw’s slogan saids “the ultimate driving machine” a statement like that would be huge if bimmer can even make a hypercar. why do you hate hypercars? they’re so fast and beautiful.
Created by an ad agency, more marketing.
isn’t marketing a part of business strategy?
Marketing = manipulation. Any SMART consumer knows to ignore it. Like accepting a British contract job is a Mercedes.
even bmw market their own cars so by your logic bmw manipulate as well? da fuck are you on about….
Stop typing bs.
I’m sorry for that asshole’s comment. I think you have every right to criticize BMW on this forum and you make a good point.
No, he doesn’t. BMW have NEVER made a hypercar, does he think he’ll see this one on the street?! M1 powered M5, M6. i8 hybrid drivetrain powers volume models, BMW are a VOLUME manufacturer. Their F1 V10 also went into M5, M6, M8 going to LeMans. BMW just bumped up their R&D budget to invest in new tech. NOT b.s. p.r. exercises that no one will ever see!
It’s a sad day when BMW fans start saying a very fast car is bs. It’s an engineering masterpiece packed with new tech. Maybe it’s not for the masses, as most BMW cars, but any car enthusiast should still appreciate it. Not to mention the fact that part of the tech used will probably be on production cars 10 years from now.
The truth is, BMW just fell waaay behind Benz in the last couple of years. I mean, look at all new AMGs. They have great daily cars like the E63, C63, they have a true hothatch, the A45, they have an incredible track weapon like the AMG GTR (fastest RWD on Nurburgring), and they have this masterpieces now, the Project One. Meanwhile, BMW is producing ugly luxury SUVs and some EV concepts. Their M cars try to incorporate all the above in one car, but ofc they fail at most. Cause yeah, the new M5 might be 0.1s faster then an E63, but that’s just because it has stiffer suspension and 100kg less. So you are sacrificing comfort, which is pretty important for a daily car. At the same time, none of their cars are fast enough to be considered a true track car. Even the M4 GTS is pretty slow compared to other cars. I miss the days when BMW made proper cars and made Benz struggle to try and keep up but not make any compromise on comfort. Now it feels like Benz is just playing solo. Sad!
Mercedes have increased volume going down market with fwd. compacts, hatchbacks, crossovers, a pick-up and Japanese co-production. Had they not been forced to buy an independent tuner to compete, they would have no performance division. You are being taken in by marketing, not engineering. Benz are about to introduce a new inline 6 – not only are they not playing solo, they are still playing follow the leader.
How is it important that they bought AMG? It was a great decision, now it’s part of the company. And don’t even start talking about engines. The new M5 has almost the same engine as the old one. Talk to anyone who knows a thing about engineering. They’ll tell you the 4 liter Benz engine is light years ahead of BMW.
Everyone sees what an amazing job Benz is doing for the last couple of years. That’s why their sales surpassed those of BMW. And you’re saying BMW is a leader? :)) In terms of what? EV concepts? :)) I don’t care about marketing. I educate myself. You should try it!
BMW were unknown when I started following them, they became #1 by being an alternative to a dull status quo. Mercedes have bored me for 50 years. I do not follow a walrus who thought buying Chrysler was a good idea. Enjoy your pick-up.
I will just say this: SLS BS, AMG GTR, Project One. What is BMW’s response?
Have you seen even one of those on the street? Do they exist outside of marketing? BMW are not doing record sales nor predicting a 50% increase in volume by responding. When will Mercedes’ I6 be on the market?
OMG, u judge a car by how non-exclusive it is? :) What a fanboish attitude! VW must be the best car in the world than! Who cares about Koenigseggs, Bugattis, Ferraris, Lambos etc. You don’t see them very often. Those carmakers are all about marketing :))
Jesus, dude, you’re really funny :D You’re talking about a silly l6 when they just lunched this monster? Kind of pathetic… And people say Benz is for old people. :))
NOthing, of course. BMW doesn’t have enough competence to make something even close to the E63 AMG, let alone sports cars produced by Mercedes-Benz. Don’t pay attention to bmw fans in this blog. They are generally too ignorant to argue with. Just enjoy how they cry of pain when seeing how Mercedes-Benz kicks their favourite car maker’s stupid ass.
So you’ve never seen one, never will, just get off typing about them. Mercedes can’t make an E63, they make Infinitis, why they had to buy AMG. Do either of you boobs even know what page you’re on? Out of work putinbots?
I know what page i`m on and i kind of like it, despite all the deluded fanboys. You shouldn’t judge a car by your social status. That’s just subjective. If you’re poor enough, you’ll be saying Renault is better than BMW, cause you can’t afford a BMW? Come on, that’s just silly. It doesn’t matter if a car is produced only in 5 units, like the Regera, it’s still a technological jewel and you should respect it and its maker. The same goes for this. You’re saying BMW only cares about cars it can sell in volumes. That’s even more sad then it not being able to produce such a car :) I really wouldn’t wanna be a BMW fan these days…
Unemployed?
1000 HP. 0-200 kmh in 6 seconds. Faster than all bmws taken together. 1. Mercedes-Benz; 2. the rest; 3. bmw
4. You’ll never drive one.
I will never drive an M5 either, but i can still acknowledge that this Benz is like an UFO compared to the fastest BMW ever made. Your defense is that it doesn’t matter if a car is good or not as long as you can’t afford it. Oh, so pathetic… It seems like BMW is turning into Vw even in terms of its fans :)) Good job BMW, forget about exuberance, opulence, madness… forget about giving people something to dream about. Just make affordable cars! That’s what made you great! LOL
At least they have greater profits :)
Still arguing with yourself. BMW M have been making performance vehicles out of their production vehicles for decades. This marketing tool is unrelated to any production Mercedes. Compared to the fastest Mercedes ever made it is still a UFO. VW own Bugatti and Lamborghini, so that comment is irrelevant also.
oh so you’re judging a car you’ve never driven or will drive to an object that nobody will ever drive? Seems smart…and you’re talking about profits? We all might as well talk to kermit the frog to get dating lessons..
it’s cool. i’ve seen worse bimmer fans than this so it’s not a big deal.
You come to a BMW page to criticize them NOT making an imaginary car & expect credibility?! Lewis Hamilton introduced the car – do you expect to play with him, too?
The greater a car is, the more exclusive and expensive it will be. It’s a simple correlation. And a carmaker who has a bit of self respect will never only think about volumes. Anyway, BMW isn’t doing that. They came up with weird stuff like the i3 and i8… clearly NOT volume cars :) They simply aren’t capable of doing anything close to the Project One without spending a fortune on R&D. You know why? Cause they are waaay behind in that deparment. Why invest in a F1 team, that will cut down the profits? :))
Anyway, enough chatting with you girls. Benz just created the greatest car out there. Yes, it’s very exclusive. That makes it even better! Benz is aiming high, not trying to go into VW territory :) Bye and enjoy your volume cars :D
Mercedes don’t build great cars, they write cheques – they bought Chrysler, they bought AMG, Brawn, Ilmor? They no more build this than Ford does the GT40, they are contracted out marketing promotions, you will never even see one, just type about it. Congratulations on your achievement.
criticize? maybe but the fact is that i wish bmw can do alot more better.
I wish your English much more better.
i wish bmw can stop fucking around and build a hypercar. damn is that even hard to ask? does bmw ever listen to their fans at all????
Not in over a century! Called leadership. What “fan” comes to a BMW page to type about other (lesser) brands?!
bmw has a leadership???? i thought this was a honda blog. oh my bad :P
I definitely expect the performance to be next level, but the design is almost cliché. Maybe i’ve been spoiled by this
It looks like a Chinese toy car. The Benz has a classic look to it, almost reminds me of the CLK GTR. Anyway, BMW fans these days have to find other cars to like… Their favorite carmaker forgot how why their fans loved them. It’s not for their luxury SUVs, for their gimmick packed 7 series or their EV concepts. It was for the sportiness of their cars, and for their soul. First the turbos, than the AWD… next they will probably give up on petrol engines all together.
Most of BMW’s volume through history has been sedans. Isn’t the CLK GTR Mercedes’ flying car?
Dude, i got it, you’re all about volumes. You must be a VW or a Toyota owner, or simply really old. I for one enjoy admiring a car even if i don’t afford it. Most car enthusiasts do. Except lame fanboys :/ I got it, BMW is better cause they make better cheap cars :D
Actually, I owned an E9, coachbuilt by Karmann. And yes, CLK GTR is the one that took off @ speed, nice dodge. Why r u in this page?
To see you cry like you’re doing now :)
Bored
Not to tears.
0-124 in under 6 seconds, are you sure about that??
This makes me seriously sad!
One thing I like about Merc is that they aren’t afraid to test the waters when it comes to this stuff, First it was the AMG GT, which was a gaming prototype which they decided to build after all, and now this.
One can argue that they borrow technology from their racing leg and that’s why they’re able to build these cars, but to me they do give their fans what they ask for, they listen to their fans and I hate it at the same time because BMW isn’t listening to us, its fans.
BMW M have been doing production road cars for 40 years, Mercedes had to buy AMG just to compete.
I’m not disputing that at all, I’m just saying that BMW needs to listen to its fans a bit more as well.
Going by sales, most fans ever.
We have been longing for a supercar and still to this day, there is no mention of it from them, not even a genuine concept.
NEVER in their history! They produced the i8 for 1/10th the cost of Ferrari, Porsche or McLaren hybrids. Why I actually see it on the street. Not them.
They have an Formula E team, though…
Its not easy to be BMW fan these days…
I feel you.
Over 2 million of them last year alone. You can tell because they don’t type. They buy.
Gues what, Benz surpassed BMW in the sales department as well :(
Not in profit.
Why r u here?
So you’re point is BMW is better cause they care more about the profit. Jeeeeesus! :))
You brought up sales.
BMW are better because they are not Mercedes.
Still the wrong page.
Your move, pathetic bmw?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=102&v=nM1v4Neq8Vg
BMWblog, still wrong page, peddle it elsewhere.
Like you could.
Nothing to answer, loser?
Answer to what?
I don’t care.
The entire article is about another brand. Jeez… You ppl really are a bit fanatic over here. Just keep an open mind. It’s not a tragedy that Benz created an amazing car. Maybe in 10-15 years BMW will create something similar as well… :)
How many millions do 507s & F1s sell for? The entire article is about another brand’s marketing.
BMW already helped create something fantastic…the McLaren F1. When Mercedes creates something as evolutionary as that car, talk to me.
McLaren AND Rolls-Royce went to BMW when they needed V12s, NOT Mercedes. Maybe if they ever need a Sprinter delivery van. Or garbage truck.
Benz presented the most awesome hypercar out there and guys are bragging about how BMW gave a helping hand with Mclaren F1, 20 years ago? :)) That’s just pathetic and really really sad. I will leave you guys in your own deluded fantasy. Bye!
You know your Mercedes is being built in Britain, right? If it is hand built Mercedes can sell it as a hand job. Like your typing. BMW’s helping hand helps the F1 MOVE. And sell for $$$$$ millions (ran out of $ signs, it sells for MUCH more!). Used BMW worth more than new contracted-out M-B.