Mercedes-AMG One enters production, assembly done by hand

Mercedes-Benz has started production of its much-awaited Formula One-inspired hypercar One. The automaker claims that each of the 275 cars will be built by hand and each car requires more than 50 people to make it. The car was first unveiled in its concept form at the Frankfurt Motor Show five years ago. It is claimed to become the fastest road-legal car from the automaker once it hits the road in production form.

The cars are being put together by hand at AMG's facility in Coventry, UK while the hybrid powertrain with its four electric motors is made by the Mercedes‑AMG High Performance Powertrains division in Brixworth. The automaker claims that each of the 275 models goes through 16 assembly and testing stations. This is similar to luxury watchmaking, claims Mercedes-AMG. After production is complete, the car is tested at an adjacent facility before being sent to Germany.

The Mercedes-AMG One hypercar is capable of churning out 1,049 hp of peak power. The all-wheel-drive powertrain comes with a highly complicated engine that revs up to 11,000 rpm and yet it still meets Euro 6 emissions regulations. On its own, the single-turbo V6 produces 566 horsepower and idles at 1,200 rpm, claims Mercedes.

As for the quartet of electric motors, there's one for each front wheel to generate a combined 322 hp. There is a third electric motor that sits next to the ICE and sends 161 hp to the crankshaft, while the fourth is linked to the turbocharger to add 121 hp into the mix. Then there's the 8.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack with enough juice for about 18 kilometres of electric range while the seven-speed automated manual transmission.

The One is capable of sprinting 0-100 kmph in 2.9 seconds, while it sprints to 200 kmph in a mind-boggling seven seconds. Flat out, the car can do 352 kmph.