The dynamic duo will pack 416 horsepower from a four-cylinder engine.
After months of spy videos, leaks, and rumors, the first wave of AMG’s new “45” cars is almost ready to break cover. Debuting in a couple of days at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the A45 S and CLA 45 S are being teased on social media to build up the hype around what will become the most powerful four-cylinder regular production cars ever made.
Mercedes-AMG took to Facebook to post these vertically shot clips of the dynamic duo, with both vehicles featuring what appears to be a satin gray finish contrasted by the red brake calipers. While the CLA comes with a trunk lid spoiler, its hatchback counterpart has a look-at-me wing mounted on the roof. Both cars have the menacing Panamericana grille with the vertical slats up front and the quad exhausts at the back.
Pause the videos at the right moment and you will notice the front fenders of both cars are adorned with the 4Matic+ logo below “Turbo” just so you know these aren’t front-wheel drive cars powered by a naturally aspirated engine. Mercedes-AMG has previously announced the new “45” models will be tail-happy despite their FWD-based platform, thanks to a drift mode of the clever 4Matic system allowing the cars to get sideways.
With 416 horsepower and 369 pound-feet (500 Newton-meters) on tap, these two are shaping up to be veritable pocket rockets. That’s especially true when you take into account the warm and far less powerful A35 and CLA 35 aren’t exactly slow, and the hotter versions will be packing some other upgrades aside from the bump in output.
Debuting July 4 at the Goodwood FoS, the A45 S and CLA 45 S will likely be shortly followed by the non-S models. It goes without saying the A-Class Sedan and next-generation GLA will also spawn these two “45” variants, along with the CLA Shooting Brake and the new GLB.
