AMG A35

Segment
Sedan

The Mercedes-AMG A45 S is one of the most extreme hot hatchbacks ever made, let alone one of the nicest. Powering this little beast is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged M139 engine that develops 416 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. It even has a dedicated drift mode if you want to drive everywhere sideways.

Sadly, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S is only sold in Europe, so US buyers are missing out. Its closest equivalent in the US is the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45, which shares the same powerplant - albeit with less power on tap. The Mercedes-AMG A35 is also sold in the US, but only as a sedan. For most people, over 400 hp is more power than you'll ever need in a hot hatch, especially as the M139 is the most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine currently in series production.

Renowned Florida tuner Renntech clearly disagrees, however, and has extracted even more power from the German hot hatch. Currently, the company is testing a power boost that will increase the output to a respectable 475 hp and 424 lb-ft of torque. This increase was achieved thanks to a software tweak and will be available to buy from mid-January.

If that's not enough power for you, the tuner will also offer 550 and 600 hp upgrades in the first quarter of 2020. These packages require additional modifications including a modified turbocharger and an upgraded exhaust system.

An optional downpipe with sports catalytic converter will also be available in the spring. Renntech hasn't said how these modifications will affect the performance, but the standard Mercedes-AMG A45 S is no slouch with a 0-62 mph sprint time of 3.9 seconds.

In addition, Renntech is also working on a new exhaust system based on the original catalytic converter that will make the hot hatchback sound even more aggressive. Complementing the standard exhaust system is an available remote-control exhaust valve module that allows the exhaust valve to be fully opened in all driving modes.