Yahoo Autos Mercedes-AMG One will not be street-legal in the United States
Mercedes-AMG finally unveiled the One, a 1,049-horsepower hypercar powered by a Formula One-derived V6, after several delays. That means customer deliveries are around the corner, but the German firm clarified that getting the model registered in America will be hard.
"While its engine has its origins in competition, constant development and refinement have left us with a difficult decision for the U.S. market. In order to preserve the unique character of its F1 powertrain, we have concluded that meeting U.S. road standards would significantly compromise its performance and its overall driving character," AMG wrote in a letter addressed to customers and published by CarScoops.
Power for the One (pictured) comes from a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain that consists of a twin-turbocharged, 1.6-liter V6 and four electric motors. This setup is somewhat surprisingly street-legal in Europe due in part to a stunningly complicated exhaust after-treatment sub-system made up of four metal catalytic converters, two ceramic catalytic converters, and two gasoline particulate filters. There's no word yet on what it would take to make the hypercar comply with American regulations, or what effect federalizing it would have on performance.
