And the A45 certainly isn’t lacking in fight or bite. It’s got a power output of 360bhp (that’s 180bhp per litre of displacement), courtesy of a turbocharger that generates a whopping 1.8bar of boost. Zero to 100km/h is taken care of in 4.6 seconds, which can seem like an eternity next to the SLS’ century sprint timing of 3.7 seconds, but let’s not also forget that the A45’s benchmark dash timing is something that would give a Ferrari from 20 years ago serious cause for concern.
It helps, too, that in addition to bite, the A45 has plenty of bark – its engine note could cause most petrolheads to get all tingly in the unmentionables. Despite the relatively tiny displacement, full-bore upshifts are accompanied by a rifle-like crack and even at idle, it has a lumpy, angry growl.
In short, the A45’s “voice” sounds positively pornographic, and while different from the SLS’, it’s most definitely no slouch there. And since we’re talking about how the noise our AMG dynamic duo make, books could be written about the beautiful cacophony the SLS’ V8 can generate.
Specifically, books that have plenty of lurid pictures in them. You know, the kind you might want to keep hidden from more prudish folk.
But more than what all the tangible elements above can say (and here’s the crucial bit) is how both the SLS and A45 have an uncanny ability to plaster a silly grin on your face.
Now, we’re not entirely sure how this all-important feeling of “AMG-ness” is achieved, though if we had to hazard a guess, we’d say the noise from their respective engines and the downright frisky nature of their chassis might have something to do with it.
Or perhaps it’s something even more unmeasurable, done through some feat of German engineering ingenuity… and possibly also involving the neighbourhood bomoh along with some sacrificial goats.
But whichever way it is, one thing is abundantly clear – AMG is doing something right. The A45 and the SLS may be poles apart in terms of engine displacement and position in the model hierarchy, but both have remarkably similar, outrageous personalities.
Now, in an ideal world you wouldn’t have to choose – you’d simply get both cars. The A45 for a blast down to the shops, and the SLS for when you want to call forth some V8-powered thunder.
However, if you live in a world where an SLS costs more than your home and right kidney combined, you won’t feel shortchanged in the least if you sprung for the A45. It is, in spite of its tiny size and engine, every bit a proper AMG car.
And now, it’s high time I sought out some professional help. My fingers are still trembling, my right foot is twitching involuntarily and every so often, I think I hear a backfire crackle from a hand-built engine tuned to within an inch of its life.
My soul certainly thanks me for the experience, as does my therapist, who is no doubt rubbing his hands in glee at the money he’s about to be making off me…
2014 Mercedes-AMG SLS 6.2 (A)
ENGINE 6208cc, 32-valves, V8
MAX POWER 591bhp at 6800rpm
MAX TORQUE 650Nm at 4750rpm
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 3.7 seconds (estimated)
TOP SPEED 320km/h
FUEL CONSUMPTION 7.6km/L (estimated)
CO2 EMISSION 308g/km
2014 Mercedes-AMG A45 2.0 (A)
ENGINE 1991cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbocharged
MAX POWER 360bhp at 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 450Nm at 2250-5000rpm
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 4.6 seconds
TOP SPEED 270km/h
FUEL CONSUMPTION 14.1km/L (estimated)
CO2 EMISSION 161g/km
Mercedes-AMG CLA45 and CLS63 four-door coupes driven
Click here to see the Audi RS3 2.5 take on the Mercedes-AMG A45 2.0
