Mercedes-AMG One hypercar mysteriously caught fire and got burned to the ground while being towed in a closed trailer to an assembly facility. The hypercar is a limited edition with only 275 examples set to be built, each unit goes for $2.72 million. All units are already sold out.
According to a local witness, “It wasn’t being driven at the time, it was just being towed,” which makes the unexpected fire all the more surprising. Firefighters rushed to the scene but couldn’t save the rare car.
“We are aware of this incident involving a car that was being transported in a closed trailer as part of its assembly process,” said a Mercedes spokesperson. “Fortunately, as far as we are aware, nobody was injured.”
“At this point in time, we do not know what caused the fire and, if needed, we will support the investigation of the insurance company,” concluded the statement.
The automaker is yet to figure out what made the car to catch fire especially with the fact that the engine wasn’t even turned on. This new incident is the latest one in a string of setbacks that plagued the development of the AMG One.
The hypercar was never the typical vehicle from inception, it was an ambitious project that aimed to build a road car using Formula 1 technology. Development of the AMG One was fraught with issues, contributing to a five-year wait for its production to begin. The car incorporates an F1 inspired combustion engine coupled with electrical motors that output over 1000hp as a whole. Early drives have reported that the drive systems are not yet perfectly calibrated. This fire is just another sign that building a car with real F1 technology is a lot more challenging