The undisputed king of mega hatchbacks, the new generation Mercedes-AMG A45 S, was pinned against its predecessor for a good old drag race that demonstrates just how quick today’s model is.
There’s absolutely no reason to put your money on the previous one, as at 421 PS (415 HP / 310 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, produced by a 2.0-liter turbo-four, the new one simply annihilates it. The 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) is dispatched in 3.9 seconds and on a long enough straight, it will reach a top speed of 270 km/h (168 mph). Those are super impressive numbers for any sports cars, let alone a compact hatch.
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At 381 PS (376 HP / 280 kW) and 475 Nm (350 lb-ft), the old AMG A45 is no slouch either. It’s also powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and features a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, instead of the new model’s 8-speed auto. It takes 4.2 seconds to sprint from rest to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) and top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph).
Now, just for the fun of it, the YouTube channel behind the drag race brought an Audi RS3 Sportback forward as well. Ingolstadt’s mega hatch has an extra cylinder compared to the AMG, with the 2.5-liter turbo-five kicking out 400 PS (394 HP / 294 kW) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft). 4.1 seconds is the time it needs to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill and it can max out at 250 km/h (155 mph), just like the old A45.
To give each one a better shot at winning, the A45 S and RS3 were subjected to a couple of drag races from a standing start and one from a rolling start. So, which one was quicker? You know what to do to find out.