If you’re a Mercedes-Benz fan, what could be better than the AMG GT S? How about an F1-derived supercar?
U.K.-based publication AutoCar is reporting that Mercedes is considering a car based around their dominant Formula One engine, meant to fill in the space left by the SLS models’ departure from the lineup.
The report says to expect a mid-engine car with a high-power turbo V6 stuffed inside along with a full performance hybrid system. The goal is not to make a car to compete with the LaFerrari and McLaren P1, but rather a supercar to attack the “affordable” end of the spectrum similar to the Acura NSX project.
Expect a plethora of carbon fiber and aluminum to save weight, and a design statement that will split the difference between something like the Ferrari 488 GTB and the BMW i8 hybrid. With that said, we hope to every deity that may or not exist that the upcoming supercar looks nothing like this AutoCar render. That is the most boring blob of nothing we’ve seen in a long time.
It makes sense that Mercedes would use the technology they’ve spent so much time and money developing for racing, and the first place you would expect it would be in a halo car. For years we’ve been told that racing leads to production car developments. While this is an extreme example of that statement’s truth, it can’t help but increase the market share in the supercar world for Mercedes. When you have the most powerful engine in F1, why in the world wouldn’t you leverage its strengths for the collector and enthusiast market?
The AMG brand has been on a bit of a success streak for the past couple of years. This prosperity may very well be the deciding factor in the project receiving a green light. Look for the model to appear sometime in 2019 if development is approved.
