Move over, world—there’s a new king of the Nürburgring, and it’s a familiar face. The Mercedes-AMG One just obliterated its own lap record, making it clear that when it comes to street-legal speed around the Green Hell, the only true rival is, well, another AMG One! On September 23, 2024, DTM driver Maro Engel blasted across the finish line in a staggering 6 minutes and 29.09 seconds, shaving over five seconds off his previous record from 2022.
This isn’t just a minor improvement—it’s a jaw-dropping feat, making the AMG One the first road car to break the 6:30 barrier on the infamous 12.92-mile (20.83-kilometer) Nürburgring Nordschleife. Mercedes didn’t bother posting the lap time for the shorter 12.8-mile (20.6-kilometer) layout, but back in 2022, Engel had already stunned the world with a 6:30.7 lap on a track that was far from perfect, dealing with damp patches and less-than-ideal conditions.
A Perfect Storm for Speed: Ideal Conditions, Relentless Power
This time, though, the conditions couldn’t have been better. With a balmy 68°F (20°C) on the asphalt and 59°F (15°C) in the air, Engel launched the AMG One around the Nordschleife during his third timed lap, capitalizing on dry track conditions to push the hypercar to its absolute limits. Mercedes knew there was room for improvement after the 2022 run, and boy, did they find it.
Who Can Dethrone the AMG One?
Let’s face it: not many cars can come close to challenging this marvel of engineering. The Aston Martin Valkyrie could give it a run for its money, and maybe McLaren’s upcoming W1. We’re also keeping an eye on the LaFerrari successor as a potential challenger. However, track-only beasts like the Red Bull RB17 and the Lotus Evija X are out of the equation due to their non-road-legal status.
Sure, electric hypercars might step up to the plate, but the Nürburgring’s grueling 12.92 miles demand more than just raw power. While the Rimac Nevera R might try, it’s going to need more than just a burst of speed to dethrone the AMG One. Even Porsche’s hyped Mission X could make waves, but with no production version on the horizon, the AMG One’s reign feels pretty secure.
The Untouchables: AMG One Joins the Nürburgring Pantheon
Of course, the all-time lap record still belongs to the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, which scorched the Nürburgring in a mind-bending 5 minutes and 19.5 seconds in 2018 with Timo Bernhard behind the wheel. Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s electric ID.R deserves an honorable mention for its blistering 6:05 lap in 2019, but neither of these can be compared to a street-legal vehicle.
For now, it seems the AMG One’s biggest rival is itself. With this latest feat, Mercedes has cemented its hypercar as a living legend, and anyone daring enough to challenge it better come prepared for the battle of a lifetime.
