The New Mercedes-AMG A 45 S Laps the Nurburgring in 7:48 With Semi-Slick Tires

First things first, 4Matic+ is the three-pointed star’s way of saying that the rear end can take it over from the front axle. The drifting ability is complemented by the M139, the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine in serial production. Assembled by one AMG employee from start to finish, the 2.0-liter blunderbuss is much obliged to deliver 421 PS (416 horsepower) and 500 Nm (369 pound-feet) of torque at the crankshaft.

Let that sink in for a minute, then remember the M139 is a single-turbo design. Better still, the horsepower rating puts the A 45 S 4Matic+ right between the Ferrari F355 and succeeding 360. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the German interloper can lap the world’s most challenging racetrack – the Green Hell - in 7 minutes and 48 seconds.

Sport Auto dropped the 7:48 with a bone-stock model, featuring no optional extras whatsoever excluding an upgrade that makes a tremendous difference on the circuit. As the headline implies, the German magazine has swapped the changed the standard shoes in favor of semi-slick tires from the Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo R family, the same type of high-grip rubber that comes as an option on the Lamborghini Huracan Performante.

The question is, what do 7 minutes and 48 seconds mean these days on the Nurburgring Nordschleife? It’s one second quicker than the C6 generation of the Corvette Z06 and Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S, three quicker than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, and four quicker than the BMW M4 and Toyota GR Supra.

There’s no denying the A 45 S 4Matic+ is a capable car in the right hands, but it’s worth remembering that tires can make or break a ‘Ring lap time. Speaking of which, fast-forward to the 7:59 mark and you’ll also notice the dual-clutch transmission shifting into neutral for no apparent reason, losing 0.8 seconds in the process.