There aren't a lot of cars that can make a 13 seconds video of themselves setting off in a straight line seem interesting. The Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG is one of them.
Yeah, I'm perfectly aware of the fact it's just a hot-hatch with a four-pistons two-liter turbo engine, but it's a full bodied AMG model, so that means it's got plenty of drama.
It's got muscle as well, as this acceleration run clearly proves it. The official performance numbers reveal a 4.2 seconds 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint time while the top speed is electronically limited at 250 km/h (155 mph). In this video we get to see the launch control system at work, keeping the engine revved at about 3,500 rpm before releasing with the minimum amount of wheel spin.
But what it has enough to share with others is the spectacular sounds coming out of the exhausts. With such popping and cackling, who needs a V8 any more? Don't be too quick to pepper me with stones and have a look (and a listen) at the video below first.
This car (and any of its derivatives) is the perfect example of how a very good exhaust system can save a mediocre sounding engine. You can briefly hear it on every upshift, and then when the car slows down to get ready for the first turn...
All hell breaks loose (please read all this bearing in mind it's a four-cylinder in-line engine we're talking about, and that's what makes it so impressive). Upon lifting the throttle, there's a series of small detonations that would make people duck or find cover if it happened in a bad neighborhood. The following downshift brings another salvo and all I can think about is how good all this must sound for the guy driving the car if it's so enjoyable from a few hundred yards away.
"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) Full profile
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