German tuning company VATH has gotten its hands on a Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S Shooting Brake (the wagon version), turning the most junior of AMG wagons into something monstrous with nearly 500 horsepower on tap.

Starting from a good base, Europe gains access to not only the wagon version but an even hotter AMG CLA 45 than we get in America. That's because we only get the standard version, while they get an S derivative which bolsters outputs from 382 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque to 416 hp and 368 lb-ft. But Vath wasn't happy with even those lofty numbers, so the tuner took the CLA 45 Shooting Brake and gave it a healthy dose of more.

With more than 45 years of experience, VATH is one of the best at coaxing more out of Mercedes and AMG models. The tuner recently injected the GLB 35 AMG with a healthy 390 hp and, in the past, has modified the Mercedes-AMG C63 wagon into an autobahn rocket and used black magic to allow the coupe variant to hit 199 mph.

Back to the CLA Shooting Brake, however. The formula starts with installing a new downpipe system with a flow-optimized exhaust gas discharge and revised software pushing up the power in the little car to 483 hp and 457 lb-ft. The car is now a certified rocket hitting 0-62 mph in just 3.7 seconds - down by three-tenths from the standard car's effort.

It helps that all that power can be put down effectively by Mercedes' standard 4Matic AWD system, but what goes must also stop. To that end, the car sports six-piston calipers, braided steel brake lines, and upgraded 390-millimeter brake discs housed behind 20-inch VATH-design alloy wheels. Interestingly, the wheels are wrapped in 265/30 winter tires. Maybe the company just assumes you'll be ripping up some mountain trails?

To round out the changes, the car has been lowered 20 millimeters with a new coil spring kit to add to the sportiness. The rest of the car remains largely untouched, which is fine by us as it's already remarkably stylish.

Although no pricing has been confirmed, performance like this likely won't come cheap. Sadly, this package won't be for US buyers, thanks partly to Mercedes leaving us wagon lovers out to dry, but at least we can admire it from afar.