Shocking pics show £2.2m Mercedes with same engine as Lewis Hamilton’s F1 car burnt out after catching fire on M6
A £2.2MILLION Mercedes supercar was reduced to ashes after it exploded into a fireball on the motorway.
The Mercedes AMG One – which has the same engine as Lewis Hamilton’s F1 car – was being towed on the M6, in Staffordshire, when it burst into flames.
Pictures show the limited edition luxury car, one of only 275 ever made, reduced to a charred frame and cinders.
Mercedes are now said to be investigating the blaze in the hybrid motor, which happened when its engine was switched off and it was being towed by a transport lorry.
A witness told The Sun: “Talk about gutted. I hope the owner had insurance.
“You would be absolutely devastated to get your hands on something as rare as that and literally see it go up in smoke.
“It wasn’t being driven at the time, it was just being towed so the mind boggles.
“It’s an incredibly sophisticated machine, with a hybrid engine so who knows what was going on.
“One thing is for sure, Mercedes will want to know what caused it.
“No car lover wants to see something like this happen. I was gobsmacked.”
The witness added: “Even though it was reduced to ashes anyone who knows cars could unmistakably see it was an AMG One.
“You can tell from the design of the exhaust and the metal struts that have to add to the bodywork to hold it together under the force of its massive acceleration.”
The blaze happened on the M6 northbound, near junction 16, near Keele Services, around 5am on Wednesday.
Firefighters were called but they were unable to salvage the mega motor.
The road legal Mercedes packs an astonishing 1,049 bhp, helping it reach 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.9 seconds and 0-124 mph (0-200 km/h) time of just 7 seconds.
Flat out, the Coventry-built AMG One will reach an impressive speed of 219 mph.
A Mercedes spokesperson said: “We are aware of this incident involving a car that was being transported in a closed trailer as part of its assembly process.
“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.”
It comes after a shocking photo revealed a £48k Porsche supercar was destroyed after a massive crash.
Cops have arrested a driver for allegedly driving without due care and attention after the smash.
Meanwhile, a business tycoon has come under fire for his flashy display after hoisting his £1.6million racing car into his 57th-storey penthouse.