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Mercedes-AMG Project One Arrives in America, Can't Drive Uphill

The Mercedes-AMG Project One is a hypercar that promises some very exciting numbers. However, it's easy to forget that what we saw last year was only a prototype.
Mercedes-AMG Project One Arrives in America, Can't Drive Uphill 3 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
The beautiful car made its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. We were promised a tiny V6 that spins all the way to 11,000rpm. However, the reality is that it barely has enough grunt to pull itself at walking pace. We've got another year or so before it's ready to race.

This video was shot at the beginning of the month at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. It shows the prototype moving along quite slowly under its own power until it eventually arrives at a small ramp. Obviously, the turning circle is a big problem, though not as much as the lack of power.

A team of four muscly guys is needed to push what's supposed to be a light vehicle uphill. But we're not surprised the powertrain doesn't work since we're talking about something experimental, unlike anything else on the road.

Essentially, this is Formula One without the helmet, a  powered by a 1.6-liter that is currently in Mercedes' F1 car. We don't need to remind you that between 2014 and 2017, the Germans have dominated the competition.

This Project One is going to make the Bugatti look like a pig with push-rod suspension, no subframe, and zero unnecessary features. Besides the electric motor sandwiched between the 1.6-liter V6 and the gearbox, there's going to be another two at the front.

As you'd expect from something that sounds so exotic, the Project One will cost around $3 million. Hopefully, none of the 275 future owners (that's how many they will make) will see this video). Unless we're mistaken, Mercedes has already sold every one, which is funny considering the prototype can't even climb a hill. No other company has that kind of reputation.

"The Hypercar is the most ambitious project we've ever made," Mercedes-AMG Chairman Tobias Moers insisted. "This marks another highlight of the successful strategic development of Mercedes-AMG as a performance and sports-car brand."

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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