MERCEDES-AMG is nearing completion of its upcoming Challenge One plug-in hybrid (PHEV) hypercar with the efficiency model revealing this week it’s transferring into the ultimate phases of improvement, together with getting it permitted for highway use.
Resulting from launch in 2021, the Challenge One won’t solely be the quickest and strongest highway automobile ever produced by the three-pointed star, it would additionally sign the launch of Mercedes-AMG’s E Efficiency know-how label.
In accordance with Mercedes-AMG chairman Philipp Schiemer, the Challenge One is only a style of what’s to return with one other two electrified fashions within the pipeline.
“Growing the Challenge One was a really nice problem which we addressed as a staff, and now we’re firing the subsequent stage for road-going approval; this automobile will strengthen our place as a high-performance luxurious model,” he stated.
“Furthermore, the Challenge One will emphasise the proximity between Method 1 and Mercedes-AMG greater than ever: we’ve the identical motorsport genes, and consider in a direct know-how switch.
“The particular disguise of the Challenge One additionally offers an preliminary outlook on our electrically powered future, which begins in 2021. The color pink will play a central position for our new know-how label E Efficiency.
4 new photos of the Challenge One prototype have been launched to coincide with the information with the automobile wrapped in a particular new pink and gray livery, conveniently complemented by the darkened pit lane and pink highway markings.
As an additional reminder of each the Challenge One’s and E Efficiency model’s hyperlink to Method 1, Lewis Hamilton’s F1 racer from which quite a lot of the drivetrain and know-how is derived from options in two of the 4 photos.
No new particulars of the rabid PHEV have been revealed as a part of the announcement with peak energy for the turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 hybrid powertrain nonetheless quoted at “over 740kW” leading to a high pace “in extra of 350 km/h”.
Energy from the interior combustion engine is shipped solely to rear wheels the place it combines with the grunt of an aiding electrical motor.
The entrance wheels in the meantime are pushed by a pair of 120kW electrical motors, leading to an anticipated six-second sprint from 0-200km/h and an all-electric vary of as much as 25km.
Present Method 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has been closely concerned within the improvement of the Challenge One and stated he was happy with the efforts put in by Mercedes-AMG.
“I can nonetheless hardly consider that there’ll quickly be a hypercar with a Method 1 engine. We received the world championship with this engine in 2015, and I used to be concerned in its improvement for a very long time … this automobile is completely distinctive,” he stated.
At this stage 5 of the 275 Challenge Ones slated for manufacturing will probably be headed Down Below with one other two allotted to Australian consumers set to stay in Europe the place their efficiency might be correctly exploited on autobahns and mountain passes.
With regards to market, the Challenge One will probably be going into direct competitors with a variety of established and upcoming hybrid hypercars together with the Ferrari SF90, Aston Martin Valkyrie and the upcoming P1 substitute from McLaren.
