Photo: Mercedes-AMG
Winter has come for Audi and their RS3 premium bullet on wheels as Mercedes-Benz is now on the throne in the most powerful and fastest hothatch category after lifting the curtain on the 2016 Mercedes-AMG A45.
Mercedes took the A-Class' revamp as an opportunity to reaffirm their status in the premium hothatch arena. To pull that off, the brand with the three-pointed star took the Mercedes-AMG A45 4MATIC and made it better.
How better, you might ask? Let's look at the power figure first. The mini-missile from Stuttgart uses the same turbocharged 2.0-liter beating heart, but with a twist. Engineers managed to boost the mill's muscle by 21 HP, taking it to an overall power output of 381 HP and 475 Nm (lb-ft) of torque, basically saying "eat my dust, Audi RS3".
The extra bump was possible due to a newly configured valve assembly. Also, the combustion processes have been optimised by reconfigured timing and turbocharging. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is done in 4.2 seconds, (0.1 second faster what the rival Audi RS3 Sportback can deliver) while top speed was set at 250 km/h (155 mph).
Here's the formal version of what Mercedes-AMG did with the A45:
"We never rest on our laurels, but constantly strive to develop our products further," says Tobias Moers, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. "The A 45 still had so much improvement potential that we felt compelled to realise it to the full. Our brand claim simply obliges us to."
Besides the mechanical sorcery, Mercedes engineers turned their heads to the car's aerodynamics and improved this aspect via a new front bumper assisted by a rear bumper with four fins and a modified spoiler sitting on the edge of the roof.
That being said, you also need to know Mercedes-AMG tweaked the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and came up with short ratios for the 3rd and 7th gear. Plus, there's a new AMG Dynamic Pack offering a front axle locking diff for more traction in close-call moments, coupled with a 50:50 weight distribution to the front and rear axles.
The new champion in the premium hothatch class offers clients the possibility of choosing between four driving modes (Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual). Visually speaking, changes are minor in the cabin but visible on the flat-bottom sport steering wheel and new instrument cluster.
How better, you might ask? Let's look at the power figure first. The mini-missile from Stuttgart uses the same turbocharged 2.0-liter beating heart, but with a twist. Engineers managed to boost the mill's muscle by 21 HP, taking it to an overall power output of 381 HP and 475 Nm (lb-ft) of torque, basically saying "eat my dust, Audi RS3".
The extra bump was possible due to a newly configured valve assembly. Also, the combustion processes have been optimised by reconfigured timing and turbocharging. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is done in 4.2 seconds, (0.1 second faster what the rival Audi RS3 Sportback can deliver) while top speed was set at 250 km/h (155 mph).
Here's the formal version of what Mercedes-AMG did with the A45:
"We never rest on our laurels, but constantly strive to develop our products further," says Tobias Moers, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. "The A 45 still had so much improvement potential that we felt compelled to realise it to the full. Our brand claim simply obliges us to."
Besides the mechanical sorcery, Mercedes engineers turned their heads to the car's aerodynamics and improved this aspect via a new front bumper assisted by a rear bumper with four fins and a modified spoiler sitting on the edge of the roof.
That being said, you also need to know Mercedes-AMG tweaked the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and came up with short ratios for the 3rd and 7th gear. Plus, there's a new AMG Dynamic Pack offering a front axle locking diff for more traction in close-call moments, coupled with a 50:50 weight distribution to the front and rear axles.
The new champion in the premium hothatch class offers clients the possibility of choosing between four driving modes (Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual). Visually speaking, changes are minor in the cabin but visible on the flat-bottom sport steering wheel and new instrument cluster.
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