Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
Until the Audi RS3 8V facelift unleashed its 400-horsepower inline-five on unsuspecting fans of compact sports cars, the Mercedes-AMG A45 was the king of hot-hatches.
The second-generation A45 will most likely receive that accolade once again since Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers has never shown that he's ever happy with second place.
Caught by our spy photographers around the Nurburgring on two separate occasions, this 2019 Mercedes-AMG prototype sure looks like it's heading in the right direction regarding its styling.
The bulldog stance is made more apparent by the wide Panamericana grille and oversized front bumper, while the narrower headlights will give it an even more aggressive look than its predecessor.
The biggest changes will happen underneath the hood, though, because the A45 is expected to pass well over the 400 horsepower mark thanks to a mild-hybrid system that is currently in development.
Just like it's M133 predecessor, the turbocharged four-cylinder is being developed by Mercedes-AMG engineers in cooperation with the peeps from Brixworth, who are usually busy working on making the Mercedes-AMG F1 team the fastest on the F1 grid.
The addition of a 48-volt system to give a 25-50 hp boost to the crankshaft without resorting to an even bigger turbocharger will make the next-generation A45 the most powerful hot-hatch on the planet once again.
To battle the Audi S3 Sportback and the upcoming FWD-based BMW M140i, Mercedes-AMG will also introduce a smaller brother in the A-Class lineup, reportedly called the A40. Using a detuned version of the current M133 mill, the model should develop around 340 horsepower and use a similar all-wheel-drive system.
Speaking of which, Tobias Moers has denied rumors which suggested that a GKN Driveline with “drift mode” system will feature on the next A45, but that was more than a year ago. Therefore, it's still possible that such a contraption could make the king of hot hatches a bit more fun to drive in the corners.
Either way, the AMG-tuned 7-speed dual clutch will be replaced by a new 9-speed, which should make the car faster in a straight line, as well as a little bit more frugal overall.
Caught by our spy photographers around the Nurburgring on two separate occasions, this 2019 Mercedes-AMG prototype sure looks like it's heading in the right direction regarding its styling.
The bulldog stance is made more apparent by the wide Panamericana grille and oversized front bumper, while the narrower headlights will give it an even more aggressive look than its predecessor.
The biggest changes will happen underneath the hood, though, because the A45 is expected to pass well over the 400 horsepower mark thanks to a mild-hybrid system that is currently in development.
Just like it's M133 predecessor, the turbocharged four-cylinder is being developed by Mercedes-AMG engineers in cooperation with the peeps from Brixworth, who are usually busy working on making the Mercedes-AMG F1 team the fastest on the F1 grid.
The addition of a 48-volt system to give a 25-50 hp boost to the crankshaft without resorting to an even bigger turbocharger will make the next-generation A45 the most powerful hot-hatch on the planet once again.
To battle the Audi S3 Sportback and the upcoming FWD-based BMW M140i, Mercedes-AMG will also introduce a smaller brother in the A-Class lineup, reportedly called the A40. Using a detuned version of the current M133 mill, the model should develop around 340 horsepower and use a similar all-wheel-drive system.
Speaking of which, Tobias Moers has denied rumors which suggested that a GKN Driveline with “drift mode” system will feature on the next A45, but that was more than a year ago. Therefore, it's still possible that such a contraption could make the king of hot hatches a bit more fun to drive in the corners.
Either way, the AMG-tuned 7-speed dual clutch will be replaced by a new 9-speed, which should make the car faster in a straight line, as well as a little bit more frugal overall.
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