AMG Makes These The Fastest Mercedes' In The World — Playing Gods Of Performance

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a pair of cars that feature the new '45 4Matic+' powertrain. Mercedes-AMG says this is the world's most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder production engine. Both the cars are on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

AMG has promised serious performance for both, the Mercedes A 45 hatchback, and the Mercedes CLA 45 four-door coupe. Both vehicles feature the latest 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine built by AMG. Each unit is also personally signed by the AMG engineer who built it.

The engine featured on the entry level AMG 45 produces 378bhp of power and 480Nm of torque. This is an increase of 11bhp from the previous generation AMG 45. The biggest gains however, are featured in the A 45 S and the CLA 45 S variants. The engines featured in these vehicles produce 421bhp of power and 500Nm of torque. Those are massive numbers for 2.0-litre engines!

All variants feature an 8-speed AMG Speedshift DCT paddle-shift gearbox that sends power to all four wheels. The standard A 45 hatchback clocks the 0-100kmph mark in 4.0 seconds, and has a limited top speed of 250kmph.

The more powerful 'S' variant does the 0-100kmph dash in 3.9 seconds, and features a top speed of 270kmph with the optional AMG Drivers' Package. Fans of the four-door coupe CLA 45 will be delighted to know that both the CLA 45s are 0.1 seconds slower on equivalent 0-100kmph sprints.

Mercedes has also worked on the suspension and the brakes. Performance dampers and springs are offered as standard, with a three-mode adaptive system available as an optional. Standard cars use a four-piston mono-bloc braking system, wherein the discs are drilled and vented to handle high temperatures. AMG 45 S buyers can opt for an even larger six-piston fixed caliper.

Both the A 45 and CLA 45 wear AMG bodykits that are inspired by the AMG GT four-door supercar. Aggressive bumpers, flared wheel arches, 19-inch wheels and an AMG-specific front grille will let every one know what you're driving. The regular AMG 45 cars feature twin exhaust tailpipes, while the AMG 45 S variants feature even larger exhausts with four tailpipes.

The exhaust system also features automatically controlled flaps to adjust the noise level. According to AMG, this ranges from 'harmoniously discreet' to 'emotively sporty' when Sport+ mode is selected from the six driving mode choices.

The interiors of the AMG 45s feature performance sports seats up front, finished in a combination of microfiber and hand-made leather with red stitching. AMG 45 S models also feature yellow highlights throughout the cabin.

Owning the 'S' also means that the AMG Track Pace data logger comes as standard. It is linked to the satellite navigation system and allows one to monitor and analyse lap times. An augmented reality function allows drivers to get virtual coaching about how to improve their on-track performance by using the head-up display.

Mercedes-AMG has also added a drift mode to the A 45 and CLA 45. Each rear wheel gets its own clutch, letting the car send power to individual wheels for maximum slide. Given the controversy that surrounded the Ford Focus RS being fitted with drift mode, we imagine the AMG 45 twins will also provoke road safety campaigners.

While the cars have been revealed at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Mercedes-AMG are tight-lipped about pricing and release dates, for now.

Thoughts About The New Mercedes-AMG A 45 And CLA 45

We think this is the first time (and possibly the last) we will use the word flabbergasted! Those are some serious performance values. We're sure both cars will set records every where they go. We also expect that Mercedes will manufacture a limited number of units and yes, they will be as pricey as can be.