The BMW M2 CS is arguably one of the best driver's cars on the market right now and the best BMW M car in a long time, improving on the already-superb standard M2 Competition with less weight and more power. We've already seen the M2 CS set a crazy fast Nurburgring lap time and beat a Porsche 718 Cayman in a drag race.

But what happens when the M2 CS gets pitted against one of its main German rivals, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S hot hatch? Check out this quarter-mile drag race between the two German compacts to find out.

Here's how the specifications compare:

Under the hood of the BMW M2 CS, you'll find a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six producing 444 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, paired with either a standard six-speed manual or an optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which was used in the drag race.

This setup gives the BMW M2 CS a power advantage over the A45 S, which has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo generating 416 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. But while the M2 CS is rear-wheel-drive, power is sent to all four wheels in the A45 S, giving it more grip than its rival.

With its superior traction, the A45 S pulls ahead of the M2 CS, completing the 0-62 mph in just 4.2 seconds. The M2 CS lags behind, with a 0-62 mph sprint time of 4.48 seconds. It's a very close race, but the A45 S is victorious, finishing the quarter-mile in 12.36 seconds.

The M2 CS crossed the line around a tenth of a second slower, with a quarter-mile time of 12.48 seconds. Ultimately, traction triumphed over horsepower in this run, but on a longer stretch of road the M2 CS would have a better chance of catching up and defeating the A45 S. Mercedes doesn't sell the A45 S hot hatch in the US, but its CLA 45 sedan sibling shares the same engine.