Video: Newest Mercedes-AMG A45 S vs. Audi & BMW

Shortly after the launch of the Stuttgart’s strongest hot hatch, Motor1 Italy grabbed a copy to test it against a BMW M2 Competition and an Audi RS 3.

Straight from the factory, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S packs the world’s strongest road-legal two-liter/four-cylinder turbocharged engine rated at a whopping 421 horsepower (314 kW). This corresponds to 210 hp (157 kW) per liter of displacement, a record-breaking number. An eight-speed, multi-plate, dual-wet-clutch transmission is charged with delivering that power to all four wheels. The hatchback weighs in at just 1,560 kg (3,439 lbs) and needs 3.9 seconds to get from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph).

The BMW M2 Competition packs a more classical three-liter/six-cylinder engine with 410 hp (306 kW) at its disposal. The drive is on the rear axle, and the weight exceeds that of the two rivals at 1,625 kg (3,583 lbs). The sprint time is 4.4 seconds.

The Audi RS 3 packs five cylinders and 400 hp (298 kW). The transmission is 7-speed single-clutch S-Tronic, and all the drive is full. The car weighs mere 1,510 kilos (3,329 lbs) and needs 4.1 seconds to launch.

As you may see from the video, the A45 S did indeed overtake its rivals on the drag strip, but only by the smallest margin. Much more interestingly, Motor1 Italy then put all three to the dyno to measure their actual power. The BMW M2 Competition turned out even stronger than claimed (420 hp / 310 kW), the Mercedes-AMG A45 S lost 10 hp (411 hp / 306 kW), and the Audi RS 3 had 26 of its metaphorical horses bolting away (374 hp / 279 kW).