Mercedes Project One hypercar production delayed until 2022

Production for Mercedes-Benz’s highly anticipated Project One hypercar has reportedly been pushed back until 2022, despite all 275 examples already being pre-sold.

According to Autocar UK, the delay isn’t due to semiconductor and parts shortages hitting the rest of the industry, but rather development issues with the Formula 1-derived power unit.

The Project One hypercar was first announced as a concept in 2017, and is reported to be using a 745kW version of the hybrid 1.6-litre power unit used in the championship-winning Mercedes Formula 1 car that same year.

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According to the report, Mercedes engineers have struggled to get the power unit to comply with numerous WLTP emissions standards without losing performance, and are also struggling to make it idle in the manner needed for a road car.

It’s said that in the F1 version the power unit idle speed is around 5000rpm, and the target idle speed of 1200rpm the engineers have set for the Project One road car has been extremely difficult to achieve.

As a result, Mercedes has yet to say if the new hypercar will deliver on its original performance targets of 0-200km/h in six seconds and a top speed of 350km/h.

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The all-wheel drive hypercar is also reported to be capable of a 25 kilometre driving range using the hybrid battery.

The owners of the exclusive 275 models have already shelled out AU$4.1million for their example, but with production delayed until at least 2022 the closest they’ll get to driving a Project One will be in Forza Horizon 5, which will be available from November 5.