AMG CLA 45

Segment
Sedan

Mercedes-AMG was a lot later to the hot hatchback party than Ford, Audi, and of course Volkswagen. Despite a late start, the A45 S has hit the ground running with a whopping 416 horsepower from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot. As you probably know, we don't get this Nurburgring eater in the States, although we do have access to the impressive CLA 45 that has the same engine. Why does that matter? Well, German tuner Posaidon has fettled with the A 45 S and turned it into a monster of a hatchback that can keep pace with a Ferrari F40, thanks to a top speed of 201 mph.

As you can guess, Posaidon's A45 S is no longer limited to 416 hp. Thanks to hardware and software upgrades, the tuned hatch, now called the A45 RS, puts a whopping 525 hp to the ground, enough to launch the car from 0-62 mph in just 3.4 seconds. That's an impressive reduction from the standard car's 3.9 seconds, but if you want something a little more middling, Posaidon will be happy to modify your A 45 S to the tune of 465 hp, enough to complete the 0-62 sprint in 3.6 seconds. Despite supercar-beating specs, there's not much to warn others of the A45 RS's abilities, as just the rear badges have been changed. Unless you have something like a 720S, that's the only view you're going to see anyway.

Pricing hasn't been announced, but we expect that the changes won't come cheap. Still, at least you can have the peace of mind of knowing that this isn't the German tuner's first attempt at breaking boundaries with Mercedes-AMG products. In the past, the company has tinkered with the E63, the GT S coupe, the GT R coupe, and even the G63 SUV. Naturally, there will always be the doubt of reliability and the fact that your factory warranty goes out the window as fast as the car you're modifying, but if you can scare Ferrari owners in a hatchback, then the risk seems worthwhile.