It's impossible to speak about fast modern-day Mercedes cars without mentioning AMG. The now-absorbed Affalterbach brand has left its mark on numerous vehicles, all of them ready to be put through their paces at any moment, from the compact hot hatch based on the A-Class to the off-road-oriented G-Class and the mighty GLS.
Some machines are more exclusive than others, and this is an indirect reference to the latest SL Roadster and its fixed-roof sibling, the second-gen two-door GT. Mercedes has taken a step forward by having its own hypercar, unlike its arch-rivals BMW and Audi, which don't necessarily consider tapping into this segment that important at all.
Boasting Formula 1-inspired tech and aptly named the Mercedes-AMG One, it was previewed by a concept a few years back. Mercedes took the time to perfect it, and the final production version came out in 2022. It's still being put together as we speak, and only 275 units will ever see the light of day. All of them were spoken for before the grand unveiling despite the steep asking price of $2.72 million each.
In addition to the exotic looks and racing-inspired cockpit, the Mercedes-AMG One has a 1.6-liter V6 engine mounted in the middle, with an electric turbocharger and four overhead cams. It can be revved up to a massive 11,000 rpm and kicks out 566 hp (574 ps/422 kW) at 9,000 rpm. The twin motors on the front axle generate a total of 326 hp (322 ps/240 kW). There is another one integrated into the turbocharger that makes 121 hp (122 ps/90 kW), and a fourth one mounted on the crankshaft that adds 161 hp (163 ps/120 kW) to the party.
Photo: Mercedes
Ask Mercedes what the total system output is, and they will tell you 1,048 hp (1,063 ps/782 kW), with a maximum system torque not being referenced "due to the complex drivetrain." The dual motors drive the front wheels, and the rear axle is hybridized, featuring a seven-speed automated manual gearbox and a locking differential. The model has 4Matic+ all-wheel drive, torque vectoring, six driving modes, and an 8.4 kWh battery that gives it an 11.3-mile (18.1 km) electric range. The One takes seven seconds to 124 mph (200 kph) and has a limited top speed of 219 mph (352 kph).
The Mercedes-AMG One builds on a carbon fiber monocoque with aluminum front and rear subframes and a trick suspension that can be adjusted depending on the selected driving mode. It also has a nose-lift kit to clear speedbumps and steep driveways. The carbon ceramic brakes provide stopping power on all four corners, with the car sitting on 19- and 20-inch wheels front and rear, shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R M01 tires. The bespoke rubber measures 285/35 at the front and 335/30 at the rear.
For such a rare and expensive beast, one might expect it to be easier to find a needle in a haystack than drive home in one after paying the multi-million dollar asking sum. But they'd be wrong, as there are multiple Mercedes-AMG One hypercars on sale at any given moment. Case in point, we stumbled across a few on the 'used' car market, including the example that this story builds on.
Photo: Mercedes
Said to feature a first registration dating back to May of 2023, it supposedly has only the delivery miles under its belt. Nothing out of the ordinary so far, right? Yep, but then comes the vendor, which is an Italian used car dealer based north of Florence, which didn't have any reviews on Mobile at the time of writing. On top of that, they claim that the hypercar doesn't have any owners in the papers despite being registered.
If that's not all, instead of sharing real pictures of it in the ad that we will link towards the end of this story, they used images apparently taken from the configurator. Thus, the pictured one features a green finish with lots of black on it, whereas the real thing is said to have a gray look – you know, much like the one whose images we shared in the gallery, which also boasts a Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1-inspired livery with multiple three-pointed stars at the rear and a touch of teal here and there.
But how much does it cost? At the time of writing, the listing showed an asking price of €4,700,000, which comes out to a little over $5 million at today's exchange rates. As a result, this Mercedes-AMG One costs about as much as a barely-driven Bugatti Chiron, which boasts superior firepower and doesn't cut back on the luxury gizmos.
On a final note, we have to stress the fact that anyone interested in buying it should read the papers in the presence of a lawyer. Just to make sure, they can also double-check most stuff with Mercedes. We're not implying the ad that can be accessed here raises red flags, but better safe than sorry, right?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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