Hold on tight: we drive the recently facelifted, über-brawny MercedesBenz AMG A45 S pocket rocket 🚀
that hasn’t yet met its limit. It probably helps that hot is no longer a strong enough word for these machines.
Similarly, the lesser AMG A35 gets some of the aggressive add-ons that were previously reserve of the top dog here. Guess when it’s so entirely obvious you’re the boss from a performance perspective – the A45 has 114bhp more than the A35 – a little bit of imitation isn’t going to bother you much. Grafted on in their own individual pods, the one on the right twists – ideal for cycling through driving modes – while the one on the left is split in two allowing you to instantly access a variety of other functions such as ESP status or exhaust volume. We had the top half set to control the AMG dynamics settings, the bottom the transmission.
We experienced no false interruptions here – earlier versions would occasionally enquire about being of assistance when you hadn’t asked – and found that it was easily able to understand all of our requests. Put the grandstanding shenanigans to one side, and there is a stonking degree of precision available. As well as 415bhp, the motor makes 369lb ft – albeit at a relatively heady 5000-5250rpm – and the drivetrain is all over it. Instead of any frustrating sense of the front end being held in check, there’s a deliciously rear bias to the way this car leans into the tarmac, leaving the steering crisp, responsive and engaging.
There’s a lot of satisfaction to be had here, and you don’t have to look – sound – like a doofus while indulging in it.It’s firm, but not unbearable. As with the powertrain settings, Mercedes has managed to resolve a real breadth of character across the three suspension control modes available from the AMG Ride Control adaptive damping system.
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