German car-themed magazine Sport Auto has arranged a Nürburgring test for the latest Mercedes-AMG A 45 S. On paper, the car has everything going for it, including the world’s strongest mass-produced engine with four cylinders, AWD with two independent couplings on the rear axle, tweaked chassis and rigid body. In practice, it fell flat on its face.
The two-liter engine with its record-breaking 421 horsepower (314 kilowatts) only brought the A 45 S past the finish line in 7:48.8. This puts it behind two FWD competitors: the Renault Megane R.S. Trophy-R with its 7:40.1, and the Honda Civic Type R with 7:43.8. Note that the former packs a humble 1.8-liter engine rated at only 300 hp (224 kW), and the latter has an only marginally larger 2.0-liter unit with 320 hp (239 kW).
Adding insult to injury is the fact that, while the Megane R.S. Trophy-R is almost a racecar (it even foregoes the rear seats), the Civic Type R is quite a mundane, drive-me-everyday car that weighs quite a lot. It has also been refreshed recently, so perhaps a better North Loop result is not out of the question for it.