The Mercedes-AMG ONE sets a new lap record for production cars on the Nüburgring-Nordschleife: with an officially measured and notarized time of 6:35.183 minutes for rounding the 20.832-kilometer track, the hypercar with Formula-1 technology set a new record for super sports cars category and road-legal production vehicles, as per Electric Cars Report.
The record-breaking drives on October 28, 2022, were too difficult to beat in terms of excitement: racing driver and AMG brand ambassador Maro Engel took the track for the day’s last attempt and burned the new, remarkable time into Eifel asphalt at exactly 17:14:31.
That was not a minute too early because the track would’ve been officially closed at 17:15. Although Maro Engel had set a new best time previously, the DTM driver was not yet finished.
Towards his track slot’s end, the conditions were getting better by the minute. Thus, Engel took advantage of the last opportunity and improved the lap time to the new official record of 6:35.183 minutes.
Based on the track variant known from the sport auto Super Test, the lap time is 6:30.705 minutes.
“That was an unforgettable experience,” Engel said after finishing the record lap.
“I didn’t expect that we would be able to set such a lap time with these track conditions. In some crucial areas of the track, it hadn’t dried completely yet and was therefore tricky. That was a special challenge. We tried to find the optimal deployment strategy during the pre-tests.”
“Like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on their race weekends, I also had to deploy the electrical energy of the hybrid drive in the best possible way. That’s not easy, especially with this length of track. In addition, the DRS function had to be used optimally. But that’s also a real Formula 1 feeling. I would like to thank you for this opportunity and the trust you’ve placed in me. It was definitely something very special to drive this incredible car on the Ring.”
“I’m proud of the whole AMG team – everyone who was involved in this project. The various departments in Affalterbach as well as our colleagues at HPP in Brixworth never gave up and continued to push the dream of this vehicle. This success is the well-deserved reward for their hard work. Even though the AMG ONE is certainly more at home on a Grand Prix circuit than on the Nordschleife – as is so often the case with this project – we’ve simply gone one step further. We’re the first ever to have taken on the challenges of the Nürburgring with a super sports car. That’s also what makes this project so unique and I’m very happy about this fantastic lap time,” Philipp Schiemer, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes AMG GmbH, said.
At first, it didn’t seem like a new record. The weather was sunny with a light wind. However, the track (which is typical of the Nürburgring in autumn) was still damp and partly dirty in several areas.
In some sections, such as the fast “Kesselchen,” the ideal line had not yet totally dried. Overall, they were not ideal conditions, especially for an extreme performance class vehicle.
By the time the track was okay for a first fast lap, the remaining time was trimmed down to less than an hour. Furthermore, air and asphalt temperatures of just under 20°C were only sufficient for four fast laps maximum.
Mercedes-AMG brought two ONEs to the Ring, meaning that the limited time could be effectively used. According to the Nürburgring 1927 GmbH & Co. KG’s specifications, both vehicles were documented and inspected by TÜV Rheinland to ensure they were in series production. A notary confirmed the vehicle’s proper conditions and record runs’ correct execution.
Record vehicle in series-production condition
Technically, the record-breaking vehicle has all that the Mercedes-AMG ONE offers as standard. For the first time, the hypercar puts Formula 1 hybrid-drive technology from the racetrack to the road.
With four electric motors and one combustion engine, the E PERFORMANCE hybrid gives a total of 782 kW (1,063 hp), with a 352 km/h top speed.
“The other motorsport technology ranges from the carbon monocoque and carbon body to the engine/transmission unit as a stressed member and active aerodynamics to the push-rod chassis.” according to the press release by the company.
Moreover, with its complex technology, the two-seater Mercedes-AMG ONE has even more than a Formula 1 racing car in several cases. It presents the fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive with an electrically driven front axle with torque vectoring and a hybrid-driven rear axle.
The maximum camber is worth within the delivery tolerance selected for the record drive.
Maro Engel picked the “Race Plus” driving programme. This means active, maximum possible aerodynamics, vehicle lowering 37 mm at the front axle and 30 mm at the rear axle, full power from all motors, and tight chassis tuning.
Drag Reduction System (DRS)
In addition, the Drag Reduction System (DRS) is driver activated by pressing a button on the steering wheel. This retracts the upper aero element of the two-stage rear wing and the front louvres on the wings.
If the system detects deceleration or lateral acceleration of a certain degree, the aero elements extend again immediately.
Optimal energy management in intelligent driving
The record lap in the hybrid super sports car with Formula 1 technology required driving skills and an intelligent driving style.
Maro Engel used special energy management for the lap of the 20.8 km Nordschleife. This means that he couldn’t accelerate to the maximum possible speed on all track sections and also had to manage his energy. To do this, he utilized the four-stage Energy Flow Control (EFC) of the AMG ONE and let off the gas earlier in some sections (“lift and coast” in technical jargon).
In addition, Maro used energy recovery in the braking phases. Hence, even on the long Döttinger Höhe, the high-performance battery provided sufficient power for a 338 km/h top speed. Mercedes-AMG ONE consumers can also take advantage of all these variation choices.
Notably, that also applies to the MICHELIN Pilot Sport Cup 2 R MO tyres, fitted as standard and specially developed for the ONE in cooperation with development partner Michelin. The standard AMG ceramic high-performance combined braking system secures the highest possible stability and deceleration.
First carmaker with a hypercar on the Ring
Mercedes-AMG is the first car manufacturer to venture onto the Nürburgring Nordschleife with such a hypercar and lays official records there.
The Mercedes-AMG ONE has become number 1 in Nürburgring “super sports car” category and the absolute fastest road-legal vehicle on the Nordschleife.
