First static comparison Mercedes-AMG One vs Ferrari F80, McLaren W1

Just 10 days apart, McLaren and Ferrari unveiled their new hypercars. Here is the first static comparison between the Mercedes-AMG One, Ferrari F80 and McLaren W1.

The Mercedes-AMG One hypercar will take on two very powerful rivals, the Ferrari F80, and the McLaren W1, from 2025, and 2026. The AMG One recently set a new record at the Nurburgring circuit with an incredible sub 6 min 30 seconds. Will any of its future rivals break that record? Mercedes-AMG One and Ferrari F80 use similar technologies, but the Ferrari F80 cannot be driven fully electric. McLaren W1 features a classical PHEV system with a small battery that can still be charged at an external socket.

Mercedes-AMG One: 1.6 liter V6 from F1, MGU-K electric engine, 2 electric motors in front

The Mercedes-AMG One uses a PHEV system consisting of an F1-derived 1.6-liter V6 turbocharged engine and three electric motors. The heat engine has a single electrically driven turbine and to handle the very high revs, the valves are driven by air springs. It develops 574 PS/9,000 rpm (11,000 rpm maximum revs).

The turbo is electrically driven by an electric motor similar to the MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit Heat) in Formula 1. It develops 90 kW and is placed between the exhaust gas turbine and the compressor turbine, directly on the turbine shaft. This is designed to accelerate the compressor turbine up to 100,000 rpm before the exhaust gas reaches the turbine. This completely cancels turbo lag and engine response is instantaneous. The maximum boost pressure is 3.5 bar.

An electric motor similar to the F1 120 kW MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit Kinetic) is used for propulsion and is connected directly to the crankshaft of the V6 engine via a spur gear system. A high-voltage Li-Ion battery powers this motor. The 8.4 kWh battery uses the same technology as the F1 car and gives an electric range of 18.1 km. It can only be charged at AC stations with up to 3.7 kW. Theoretically, the Mercedes-AMG One can travel 18 km in electric mode.

The front axle is driven by two electric motors of 120 kW each. Total power is 1,063 PS.

The V6 engine is mated to a completely new 7-speed automated manual gearbox, developed especially for the Mercedes-AMG One, in which the lockable differential is also integrated.

Thanks to its larger and heavier battery and highly complex PHEV system, the Mercedes-AMG One is the heaviest of all three hypercars, weighing no less than 1,770 kg.

Ferrari F80: 3 liter V6 at 120 degrees,, MGU-K electric engine, 2 electric motors in front

The Italian hypercar, the successor to the F40, F50, Enzo, and LaFerrari, basically uses a similar propulsion system to AMG One. The Ferrari F80 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 engine equipped for the first time for Ferrari with electrically driven turbos, combined with two electric motors on the front axle and an electric motor (MGU-K) coupled to the combustion engine.

The V6 engine has almost double the displacement of the AMG One’s, 3.0-liter, and the V-angle is different, 120 degrees compared to 90 degrees on the Mercedes. Codenamed the F163 CF, it developed 900PS/8,750 rpm making it Ferrari’s first 300 PS/liter engine. In addition, it has a new detonation control system that allows the engine to run extremely close to the detonation limit, which creates 20% higher combustion chamber pressures than the 296 GTB.

As in the Ferrari SF90 Stradale and AMG One, the front axle is powered by two 105 kW (142 PS) electric motors, one at each wheel, developed and produced for the first time by Ferrari in Maranello, the inverter and cooling system are integrated together with the electric motors directly into the front axle, which has contributed to a 14 kg weight reduction, with the whole unit weighing just 61.5 kg.

The MGU-K electric motor is derived from the Formula 1-derived MGU-K, assisting the 60 kW (82 PS) combustion engine and capable of generating up to 70 kW (95 PS) in regenerative mode. It has three roles: it starts the heat engine, recovers energy to charge the battery, and provides additional torque to the heat engine in certain situations.

The high-voltage battery is built according to the cell-to-pack principle and has a lower capacity than the 296 GTB, only 2.3 kWh (204 cells grouped in 3 modules) compared to 6.0 kWh, the priority being to minimize weight rather than increase the electric range. The Ferrari F80 weighs only 1,525 kg.

The Ferrari F80 no longer has electric mode and can’t go electric at all.

McLaren W1: classical PHEV with V8 bi-turbo and electric engine, rear wheel drive

The P1’s successor has the simplest system: a classical PHEV system with a conventional engine mated with an electric motor. In addition, the McLaren W1 only has rear-wheel drive, while the Ferrari F80 and Mercedes-AMG One have hybrid all-wheel drive.

The hybrid system consists of a 4.0-liter V8 engine with a 90-degree V-angle in the center position that develops 928 PS and can rev up to 9,200 rpm. The electric motor contributes a further 347 PS for a total of 1,275 PS and 1,340 Nm.

0-100 km/h is achieved in 2.7 seconds and 0-200 km/h in 5.8 seconds. At 350 km/h, the electronics limit top speed. Although the battery is very small, it can also be charged from an external power socket, but this facility is practically useless. It takes an hour to charge from 10 to 80% from a 220V socket. The McLaren W1 runs electric in reverse, and can only go electric for 2 km in forward gear.

Power is transmitted to the rear axle via an 8-speed automatic gearbox with a double clutch.

Thanks to its small battery capacity, integral carbon-fiber construction, and the integration of the seat skeleton directly into the bodywork, the car’s weight is extremely low at just 1,399 kg. Thus, the McLaren W1 is 126 kg lighter than the Ferrari F80 and no less than 371 kg lighter than the AMG One.
In contrast, thanks to its small battery, the McLaren W1 only goes 2 km in electric mode, and the 1.38 kWh battery can be charged from a normal 220V socket in about an hour.