As hot as it may be, for a compact hatchback, the Mercedes-AMG A 45 cannot keep up with true supercars in a straight-line battle without some tuning trickery.
By the looks of it, this white A 45, which was filmed going bare knuckles on a Ferrari 488 Pista with a very predictable result, does not sport any aftermarket upgrades. Thus, its 2.0-liter four-banger, paired to a 7-speed DCT and all-wheel drive, should still be good for 376 hp (381 ps / 280 kW) and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) of torque.
Hold on, isn’t the A 45 a bit more powerful than that? It sure is, but that’s the new gen, as this one is the older model that preceded it. It is still very quick, with the 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) acceleration taking 4.2 seconds, and a 155 mph (250 kph) top speed. Nonetheless, its performance is simply dwarfed by the 488 Pista, which brags about needing 2.85 seconds to hit the 62 mph (100 kph) mark and being capable of pushing up to over 211 mph (340 kph).
While the Mercedes-AMG has a four-pot up front, the Ferrari uses a twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8, placed behind the passenger compartment. And despite being rather old compared to the modern establishment, it still is a force to be reckoned with, as it has no less than 710 hp (720 ps / 530 kW) and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) to play with.
The A 45 never stood a chance against the blue-blooded exotic, but maybe it did better against other rivals, as it sure raced, together with a grey example, quite a few fast machines. Those battles can be seen on video down below, but if you want to see it take on the 488 Pista, then the action starts at the 1:10 mark.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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