45 FORCEFOURS
High performance need not be restricted to an elevated playing field and eight-figure price-tags and, in 2014, Mercedes-AMG set out to prove just that with the new ’45’ line of four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine cars. And not just any four-cylinder engine; the world’s most powerful production four-cylinder engine — with 181 PS/litre!
Yes, the 1,991-cc four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine delivered an astonishing 360 PS and 450 Nm of torque. Such was the potency of the motor that all the cars that packed it — the A 45 hot-hatch and the CLA 45 four-door coupé — needed four-wheel-drive to effectively deliver the power to the road, and packages as compact as the cars based on the MFA (Modular Front Architecture) platform.
A case in point: the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC remains one of the most potent and powerful four-door coupé models — moulded along the lines of the beautiful CLS-Class. With a low centre of gravity, high power output, and the 4MATIC driveline handling dynamic torque distribution, the CLA is a nimble handler with point-and-shoot performance to thrill as well.
We had an opportunity to test the CLA 45 4MATIC on road and track, and it was one of the quickest accelerating cars ever, achieving higher speeds faster; the essence of a sports car imbibed in a compact four-door. Quite a pocket-rocket it is, indeed.
Next page – Mercedes-AMG in F1 >
