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This Racing Event Shows That the Mercedes-AMG A 35 Is Full of Surprises

This 1/4-mile drag race is not without its twists and turns, especially when it comes to the Mercedes-AMG A 35. Ladies and gents, today we will witness a friendly skirmish between the A 35 and the latest Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3. Now let's go meet our contestants and see what each one brought to the fight.
Mercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag Race 11 photos
Photo: carwow YouTube channel
Mercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag RaceMercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag RaceMercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag RaceMercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag RaceMercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag RaceMercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag RaceMercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag RaceMercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag RaceMercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag RaceMercedes-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag Race
In the blue 20th Anniversary Edition-looking corner, the Volkswagen Golf R packs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine capable of delivering 329 hp (333 hp), with 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. It's AWD, has a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and weighs 3,263 lbs. (1,480 kg).

A fun fact about the U.S. version, its turbocharged EA888 Evo4 TSI engine produces less horsepower than this model, being rated at 315 ponies (319 ps). However, while the price in the UK is a bit over 48,000 pounds, in the U.S., the MSRP is $44,940 for the manual transmission model and $45,740 for the seven-speed DSG.

Next up is the Audi S3 with its 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that can deliver up to 306 hp (310 ps) with 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. The S3 is AWD as well, with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, and weighs 3,307 lbs. (1,500 kg).

Now, in the U.S., you're going to have a hard time finding a hatchback model like this one, but a 2023 sedan version will set you back $46,800.

The BMW M135i has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that can output 302 hp (306 ps) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. It has an all-wheel-drive system as well, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and weighs 3,362 lbs. (1,525 kg).

Mercedes\-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag Race
Photo: carwow YouTube channel
Just like the Audi hatchback, you'll be lucky to get a Series 1 in the U.S., on account that the BMW website has none for sale. But if you were to buy one from the U.K., it would cost you around 41,000 pounds, or $51,000.

Next to last we have the Mercedes-AMG A 35, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that can deliver 302 hp (306 ps), and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. Of course, it drives all four of its wheels, has a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and weighs 3,428 lbs. (1,555 kg).

Again, because it's a hatchback, you won't find one on the official U.S. website, but as far as the price goes, it costs nearly 46,000 GBP, which means 57,000 dollars.

Finally, the Honda Civic Type R has a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that can deliver 324 hp (329 ps), and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. This Civic is the only one from the race driving its front wheels only. It also has a six-speed manual transmission and weighs 3,150 lbs. (1,429 kg). The U.S. price tag shows a $43,295 MSRP.

Now that we're done with the presentations, let's see how our motorized carriages faired against each other. While it would have been fun for Mat Watson from the UK-based "carwow" YouTube channel to organize three or four drag races, sadly, we only got one. That being said, at least we had some interesting results from it.

Mercedes\-AMG A 35, Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M135i, and Audi S3 Drag Race
Photo: carwow YouTube channel
For example, the AMG A 35 was neck-and-neck with the Golf R across the finish line. The photo finish revealed the Mercedes was just a bit faster, with the Golf finishing in second place. However, they were both clocked at 12.5 seconds for the 1/4-mile race.

Then the BMW M135i finished in 12.9 seconds, the Audi S3 in 13 seconds flat, and the poor Honda came in dead last at 14.1 seconds. That's 1.6 seconds slower than the A 35 and Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition.

After the one-off drag race, it was decided that the cars should compete in two roll races. The first one was set at 50 mph (80 kph), but they all had to be in Comfort Mode. Wouldn't you know it, the AMG won again. Only this time, the S3 followed soon after, the Honda came in third, the Golf in fourth, and the BMW last.

The second roll race saw them flooring it from 50 mph (80 kph) again, but they had to switch to Sport Mode. This time, the Golf R won, with the Mercedes coming in a close second, Audi in third, BMW in fourth, and the Civic Type R last.

As a final try, they went for the brake test at 100 mph (161 kph). As a major plot twist, the Honda not only did not finish last again, but was actually the one to hit zero velocity first. I guess, after all, it truly was the little engine that could.

If you're curious about how the rest of the gang fared, know that the BMW M135i was the second to reach a full stop, followed by the Mercedes-AMG A 35 in third. The Golf was the fourth one to fully break, which leaves the Audi S3 last.

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About the author: Codrin Spiridon
Codrin Spiridon profile photo

Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive).
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