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Mercedes-AMG A 45 S vs. Stage 1 CLA 45 S Drag Race Has Unpredictable Ending

It's actually a good thing the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S is so ridiculously expensive because otherwise, everyone would buy it. We'd be living in a sea of Mercedes-AMG super hot hatches, with half of us also working for the German manufacturer to make sure the insane demand is covered.
Mercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S 10 photos
Photo: carwow/YouTube screenshot
Mercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 SMercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 SMercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 SMercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 SMercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 SMercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 SMercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 SMercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 SMercedes-AMG A 45 S Vs Stage 1 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S
That's not exactly a world we'd hate living in since the A 45 S is a superb creation. It looks cool, it sounds pretty darn well, but most of all, it drives more aggressively than a hot hatch should be allowed to. It all stems from the 2.0-liter four-cylinder twin-turbo masterpiece of an engine that produces 415 hp (421 PS) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of maximum torque.

It's not all about just the engine, though, with the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission also playing its part together with the all-wheel-drive system. Put everything together, and you get a car that can hit 62 mph (100 kph) in under four seconds while keeping a practical body style with a decently sized trunk, four doors, and room for four adults.

With everyone driving the same car, though, a tendency to want to tune yours would be completely natural. Well, some people get it even without living in the AMG A 45 S world we've been painting so far, with this CLA 45 S being the perfect example.

In stock form, the only thing setting these two apart is the three-volume body style of the CLA and the slight weight disadvantage it comes with. However, considering the power output, a few extra pounds aren't going to make much difference.

But as we said, the grey Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S in this race isn't stock. It has received an ECU remapping, boosting its output to 490 hp and 487 lb-ft (660 Nm) of maximum twisting power. The transmission and the rest of the car have remained untouched, which means we'll get to see what effect the most basic software performance-enhancing modification can have.

Well, not the one you'd expect, that's for sure. Granted, the weather is not on the CLA's side either, with the soaking wet surface making it very difficult for the extra power to be deployed efficiently. After a failed start initially, the CLA puts on a much better fight forcing a close analysis of the finish to decide the winner. Had the race continued for half a mile, the sedan would have won it comfortably.

The two rolling races make the difference between the AMG pair painfully obvious. The CLA's extra power shines through effortlessly as the sedan continues to pull away until it runs out of asphalt. It's actually amazing what a little tinkering with the car's ECU can do, though, like everything else about the AMG models, that doesn't come cheap either (about $1,130 in this case).

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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