Mercedes AMG One cuts 8sec off Nürburgring lap record

The radical Mercedes-AMG One has already started to make its mark in the history books by obliterating the lap record for a production car at the Nürburgring Nordschleife recently.

The 1049bhp machine is powered by a version of the all-conquering EQ Power+ Formula 1 engine that carried Mercedes to an unequalled eight constructors’ titles. It features the familiar 1.6-litre V6 turbo, with four electric motors.

Mercedes-AMG factory driver Maro Engel – more commonly found in DTM and GT3 machinery – was tasked with undertaking the record attempt and didn’t waste it, setting a blistering 6min 35.183sec effort, shaving almost 8sec off the former benchmark set by a Manthey Porsche 911 GT2 RS. That’s the difference between a £2.2m car and a £600,000 one…

And it could have been more too. Engel had already set a new record when he went for one final run, crossing the finish line a minute before the track’s official closing time, meaning the lap wouldn’t have stood.

Conditions were also less than ideal, with Engel saying: “I didn’t expect to be able to set such a time in these conditions. In some crucial areas, the track hadn’t dried completely and was therefore tricky.”

Mercedes-AMG confirmed the car was in the same spec as the 275 Ones that will soon be delivered to their owners. Running in race mode and with active aero, Engel managed to hit 210mph on the straight.

And the lap record wasn’t the only recent accolade for Mercedes-AMG, as the firm’s High Performance Powertrains arm was awarded the 2022 Dewar Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club. The award celebrates engineering brilliance, and was given for the firm’s work in implementing F1 technology into the AMG One.