I want to start this by saying that I own a few cars myself: A BMW 6-speed V10 M5, a Mercedes C63 AMG (Which I enjoy), and an Audi A4. I have also owned several Porsches including both Carreras and Boxsters. I've even enjoyed the Cayman after driving it.
After seeing the release of Mercedes new Project One Car--I have to say I was impressed by the looks of the car. I always love to see design cues become a bit radical to help the trickle down system so that the standard models receive these design cues as well.
As I started to read more and more about the P1...sorry McLaren....I began to read about the powertrain and horsepower numbers. Wait....you are going to use a 1.6 Turbocharged V6?? What?? Why? Those were my initial thoughts. Well, it would save a lot more on gas. That is for sure. Hmm, why would they want to have the engine rev to 11,000?...Think about that...11,000!!!
The Ferrari Italia revs to 9,000 and that was seen as ridiculous. A car rarely if ever is allowed to rev over 9,000.
That is in the territory of a motorcycle or F1 car (the latter of which is the route they are going)
Certainly it would save on gas. Using a V8 or a V12 like the Aston Martin Valkyrie would significantly limit the upper range rev limiter. Ok, I get it, but I am still not happy with it. It will be gas saving but that's not something someone who pays $2.72 million needs to worry about. But I guess they need to lower displacement to allow for F1 style driving. And yes, 1000 hp is completely incredible. Well not truly sensational since the Bugatti and Koenigsegg have already hit the benchmark but getting that power from a "tiny" V6 is an achievement.
My question is maintenance. We all know the harder things work, the quicker they break down. Motorcycle engines do not last longer than road cars because of the way the engine is "pushed." How long will THIS Project One engine last? Maybe Mercedes will "reinforce " or maybe have a plan for that but they MUST. $2.72 mill is hardly chump change. Reliability is not a word you want to be uttering in a car that is worth 3 times more than a house in the Los Angeles, CA area. I know if I buy a LaFerrari, engine reliability is not something I will worry about. Plus Ferrari has that awesome 7 year, yes, 7 year warranty.
Continuing with the powertrain, the car will have not one but FOUR electric motors and one of them is completely dedicated to the turbocharger and the other three add power to the front and rear wheels. They need them to meet the power standards they are looking to meet. The Valkyrie did this but just dropping a monster V12 in there.
Now to me, the interior is close to perfection. The steering wheel is pretty much a F1 style wheel with a rectangular shape. Everything is on the wheel. It minimizes need for buttons everywhere on the dash and consoles. No real luxuries, just a pure racing style car experience. That Ipad style screen is not doing it for me. Looks like someone stuck it on there with duct tape. Loving the strap door handles to save space.
I do want to see how the car handles as a result of the weight reductions. Does it handle like my C63 AMG....only straight and skurvy on turns? I doubt it will and will perform a lot better. Mercedes has always been a brand to me that is more luxury focused than raced focus. Since they became an "American" company, the AMG models have become more like American Muscle cars than anything else. Owning one, they feel like a Hellcat or a ZR1. Yes, Mercedes had the CLK GTR and cars like that but when you think of racing you think: Ferrari, McLaren, even Porsche, maybe BMW...maybe. Mercedes is more of an afterthought.
How many will actually plunk down almost $3 million for this car? Probably more people than the cars they will produce. In the end, though, in the scheme of things, it will be a Mercedes--not a Ferrari, not a Lamborghini, not a McLaren. That's not necessarily a bad thing because they are trying to up the ante. I think they have. Is this Project One pretty awesome and innovative? Yes. I still await actual performance and reliability real word before making a complete judgment. That will take time. If I find $3 million on the street corner, would I buy this car? 1000% NO. I'd just get a LaFerrari. But that's just me.