Photo: CarPix
When it was first launched, the Mercedes-AMG A45 nameplate shook the very fabric of what hot hatches were made from.
Its 360 horsepower four-cylinder was first beaten by the 367 horsepower inline-five in the Audi RS3 8V. The 381 horsepower of its facelifted version was then trounced by the 400 HP oomph of the revamped RS3 in 2017.
Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers has already been quoted as saying that the second generation of the A45 will once again become the king of hot-hatches, meaning that we should expect quite a bit over 400 horsepower in the 2019 model.
Our spy photographers recently caught a camouflaged pre-production prototype of the car near the Mercedes-AMG compound situated near the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
Unlike previous prototypes, this one has a couple of extra details that seem a bit out of place on a modern AMG model, especially one that has a turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood. As most of you probably know, Mercedes-AMG has been all about trapezoidal exhaust tips on pretty much all of its models.
The only two cars that still feature round or oval exhaust tips are the Mercedes-AMG G63 and the recently discontinued G65. It's not yet clear if this A45 prototype has production tailpipes or not, but they sure like it.
Either way, what is known for sure so far is that the 2019 A45 will use a 48-volt electrical system for both fuel economy and extra low-end oomph thanks to a 15-20 horsepower electrical motor glued directly to the ICE.
Once again, the powerplant will be co-developed with the F1 specialists at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, who are in charge of the winningest Formula 1 car in recent history.
Sadly, the FWD-based all-wheel-drive system won't get a GKN Driveline rear, like the drifty Ford Focus RS, but the addition of a limited slip differential should definitely make the car happier in the corners at full throttle.
A 9-speed dual-clutch transmission will replace the current 7-speed, which should improve acceleration, while the suspension will finally be electronically controlled.
Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers has already been quoted as saying that the second generation of the A45 will once again become the king of hot-hatches, meaning that we should expect quite a bit over 400 horsepower in the 2019 model.
Our spy photographers recently caught a camouflaged pre-production prototype of the car near the Mercedes-AMG compound situated near the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
Unlike previous prototypes, this one has a couple of extra details that seem a bit out of place on a modern AMG model, especially one that has a turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood. As most of you probably know, Mercedes-AMG has been all about trapezoidal exhaust tips on pretty much all of its models.
The only two cars that still feature round or oval exhaust tips are the Mercedes-AMG G63 and the recently discontinued G65. It's not yet clear if this A45 prototype has production tailpipes or not, but they sure like it.
Either way, what is known for sure so far is that the 2019 A45 will use a 48-volt electrical system for both fuel economy and extra low-end oomph thanks to a 15-20 horsepower electrical motor glued directly to the ICE.
Once again, the powerplant will be co-developed with the F1 specialists at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, who are in charge of the winningest Formula 1 car in recent history.
Sadly, the FWD-based all-wheel-drive system won't get a GKN Driveline rear, like the drifty Ford Focus RS, but the addition of a limited slip differential should definitely make the car happier in the corners at full throttle.
A 9-speed dual-clutch transmission will replace the current 7-speed, which should improve acceleration, while the suspension will finally be electronically controlled.
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