I'm against the grain.
I think this is a super impressive time. A good 20+ seconds better than a 918, maybe 7 years after. I discounted the Manthey tuned GT2RS as that a tuned car, 'almost' factory but not quite. This is a factory stock car.
What is 'worth it'? Faster car worth more? More luxurious worth more? Or the badge worth more?
I can take a GT2RS and set a lap time at my track, and some bozo can jump into his $20k Formula Ford or a 80k Radical and set a quicker time. Actual fact. A GT2RS can do low 2 mins, 2:0something at best, while a Formula Ford in good hands can do 2mins or even sub 2 mins laps. Radicals are doing sub 2 mins laps.
A Chiron is comparable in price, but a lot slower, more luxurious however. So is the AMG ONE better? Depends on ones point of view.
Van Gogh's painting are accepted to be expensive. But are they good paintings by merit? Or only by reputation because who painted it? I would argue his paintings are garbage. It's only bid up astronomically because some people have interest in keeping the prices high. My son did oil painting lessons when he was young. He did one when he was 6, it was of a vase with flowers on a table by a window. I think he did a better job painting something than Van Gogh. Why would I pay $200 mil for a Van Gogh when my son did a better painting for free? Is that the argument? What is 'worth it'?
I haven't sat in a AMG ONE, nor did I order one. I have friends that have, and they went through fittings. The AMG ONE seat is night and day more comfortable than the Porsche buckets. And trimmed just as nice if not nicer. So by the standard of luxury, the AMG One wins over the GT2RS already. The better performance is just the cherry on top.
Going back to the GT2RS, or even the new GT3RS. They are faster than the 918, a lot cheaper too, but are they the better car? Do people lust after a GT3RS as oppose to a 918? I think not.
The AMG ONE should be celebrated, that Mercedes went through the whole process to develop the car. they could have abandoned it a long time ago, they didn't. Unlike say Red Bull, who abandoned their part in the Aston Martin Valkyrie project and let Aston finish it by themselves.
The only thing odd was that on the lap, the sound of the car is awful, and also it seems the car can't quite get to 340km/hr, it hit a wall at around 336km/hr then it comes right back down. But that's nitpicking, the cornering speed of the car is amazing.
Another thing is, Maro Engel seems to be taking a drive around the park during his attempt, he doesn't even seems to be taxed one bit. Very relaxed. Unlike say Bergmeister in the GT3RS or Lars Kern in the Manthey GT2RS, both of them are quite busy inside the cockpit. The Porsches seems to be very much on the edge already while the AMG ONE has something left on the table.
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and print his name on every component as well.
