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Motor 1
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
This Burning Mercedes-AMG One Breaks Our Hearts
Cars are complicated machines, even before shoehorning a massively complex Formula 1 engine behind the seats. Hybridization adds yet another layer of complexity, resulting in a hypercar that requires an engine rebuild every 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers). Mercedes-AMG faced numerous hurdles during the development of its F1 car for the road, the AMG One. Even after years of delays, the problems didn't end. One car burned to a crisp inside an enclosed trailer in May 2023. Fast-forward two years, and it appears another Mercedes-AMG One has gone up in flames. In the age of AI, it's not always easy to verify what appears on social media, but this video seems legitimate. That said, we've done our due diligence and reached out to Mercedes to confirm whether the footage of the electrified hypercar burning to a crisp is genuine. Until we hear back, please consider our skepticism warranted. Details remain scarce, but based on the surroundings and look of the ambulance, it seems the fire occurred in Germany. The AMG One in question carries an 'OL' license plate, indicating registration in the Oldenburg region. After some digging, we found other videos of the car prior to the incident. The dark green machine was showcased in April at the Techno Classica Essen. Firefighters responded to the scene, but it was too late to save one of the 275 units that Mercedes-AMG is making. Footage of the aftermath shows what's left of the fastest production car to lap the Nürburgring . Frankly, identifying the make and model would be difficult, given how little is left after the fire. As for what caused the blaze, it's tempting to blame the complex hybrid setup. However, it's unclear whether the battery or the intricately engineered 1.6-liter V-6 was responsible. What matters most is that the driver apparently pulled over and got out of the vehicle before the AMG One was fully engulfed. Hopefully, they escaped unharmed. Circling back to the license plate, it appears to have been a customer car rather than a prototype. Mercedes' test vehicles typically use 'LW' plates for Ludwigsburg, because AMG's headquarters are located in Affalterbach, a municipality in the Ludwigsburg district. If you know more about what happened, please leave a comment or contact the author at Source: chrimbu / TikTok Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Motor 1
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Rob Dahm's 12-Rotor Engine Made 1,515 HP. Then It Caught on Fire
The saga of the mighty 12-rotor engine continues. Rob Dahm's latest video on the monster mill focuses on more dyno tuning, and there's some good news to share. The engine is indeed a beast, posting four-figure horsepower and torque numbers with ease. Unfortunately, the big rotary set itself on fire in the process. And that's not the only setback in the project. We've been following the progress of this project for a while now. Dahm first got the engine back in 2023; it was built several years ago but in his care, the massive 15.7-liter engine gained not one, not two, but three turbochargers . That's because the rotors are set up in three banks, giving the engine something of a V-shape to it. Before Dahm got his hands on it, the 12-rotor allegedly made 1,400 horsepower and over 800 pound-feet of torque, spinning to over 10,000 rpm in the process. We can confirm it makes at least 1,515 hp and a very stout 1,281.4 lb-ft of torque. We say at least because things are still very much in the testing and troubleshooting phase, as evidenced by the engine catching fire after its power pull. Apparently, it generated so much heat that plastic and fiberglass shielding combusted. It ultimately reached 7,500 rpm–far short of its rumored limit. Surprisingly, it seems the dyno team wasn't immediately prepared for such a situation. Someone is heard asking "do we have an extinguisher or something?" Moments later, a person runs into the room and starts blowing on the engine. Finally, someone jumps in with a fire extinguisher, roughly 15 seconds after the fire started. The damage was relegated to the aforementioned shielding, and after a bit of clean-up, the engine was ready for more testing. That's where things go from bad to worse. Apparently the engine was damaged to some degree during the high-rpm pull, but not due to the fire. A keyway was damaged, causing potential timing issues, and the engine itself became severely flooded from the power run. Back at the shop, a compression test found some rotors down considerably, likely due to damaged seals. Dahm doesn't believe there's any detrimental damage to the engine, but it will need a full teardown to inspect the internals and replace seals. The original goal for this video was 2,000 horses; with a leaner setup (and obviously no fire) it could get there. But we'll have to wait for a future video to see if that goal is ultimately realized. More On The 12-Rotor Engine Listen to Rob Dahm's Mind-Melting 12-Rotor Engine on the Dyno Go Inside The World's Only 12-Rotor Engine Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: Rob Dahm / YouTube Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
