Mercedes-AMG Rules Out Another F1-Powered Hypercar Due To Emissions Regulations

An electric hypercar seems more likely.

By: Adrian Padeanu

Jan 19, 2023 at 2:25am ET

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The One will remain a unicorn for AMG as Mercedes' high-performance division will not develop another street-legal hypercar with the heart of an F1 car. Affalterbach's director of vehicle development, Steffen Jastrow, told CarSales at the Australian launch of the C63 S there won't be a direct successor due to tighter emissions regulations. Having worked on the car, he admitted it was difficult to make the One comply with the WLTP standard.

"I wouldn't say we will never have a new hypercar, but there are no plans for that yet. But I think a hypercar based on the Formula 1 powertrain? I think that's no chance. I think if you want to have in the future somebody, not just AMG or Mercedes, who can bring a Formula 1 engine to a production car, I think this is the one time – the one moment we've chosen to do that."

2023 Mercedes-AMG One

With Euro 7 regulations coming into effect later this decade, the chances of seeing another F1-engined road car are slim to none. Unsurprisingly, Jastrow was far more optimistic about the prospects of an electric hypercar, saying it would be easier to certify a zero-emission performance machine for street use. As a refresher, AMG is no stranger to this concept, having built nine units of quad-motor SLS AMG Electric Drive about a decade ago.

With the Vision AMG concept unveiled last year, Mercedes provided a window into the future of electric performance. One of the three platforms the German brand is working on is AMG.EA for purely electric sports cars. It's being developed from the ground up and aims to deliver "revolutionary drivetrain technology," according to AMG CEO Philipp Schiemer, who will be stepping down on March 1.

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Meanwhile, AMG has started production of the One and recently delivered the first car to a customer. Only 275 units are being made, and they've long been sold out. It's the fastest road-going vehicle on several important tracks, including the Nordschleife, Hockenheim (Grand Prix layout), and the Red Bull Ring.

The AMG One is not the only hypercar to heavily rely on F1-derived technology as the Aston Martin Valkyrie was developed in collaboration with Red Bull Racing. A radical version dubbed AMR Pro eschews the license plate to unlock the vehicle's full potential on a circuit.