Mercedes-AMG CLA45 EV pips Audi’s five-pot hero
The now-electric Mercedes-AMG CLA45 is the quickest car of its powertrain and size at the world’s most famous race track.
Last month, Mercedes-AMG revealed the new CLA45 4MATIC+, with the sedan transitioning from its long-held turbocharged petrol powertrain to a dual-motor electric drive.
Capable of producing up to 500kW and 1759Nm – a big increase on the 310kW and 500Nm outputs of the outgoing turbocharged model – the AMG CLA45 4MATIC+ EV is more potent than its predecessor, though questions were raised as to whether its 2280kg kerb weight would hinder its progress.
Those concerns have now largely been brushed aside, after the EV set a time of seven minutes and 32.070 seconds around the 20.832km Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit, a time which is being claimed as a record for its class.
That is largely because it’s now the only car in its class to set a time, becoming the first ‘compact’ EV to officially lap the track, with other EVs such as the Porsche Taycan, Xiaomi SU7 and Tesla Model S classed as ‘executive’ cars.
For reference, the AMG CLA45 is quicker than the Tesla Model S Plaid, which set its seven minute and 35.579 second time back in 2021, though it’s well away from the pace of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra with Track Package (7:04.957) and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Manthey Kit (6:55.533).
Looking purely at ‘compact’ cars regardless of powertrain, the AMG CLA45 wasn’t able to unseat the BMW M2 CS as the ‘Ring King, with the coupe having set a seven minute and 25.534-second time last year.
That’s despite the BMW producing 110kW and 1109Nm less, as well as only sending power to the rear wheels, though at 1700kg unladen, it’s nearly 600kg lighter.
Despite its significant power advantage, the CLA45 AMG was also only just quicker than the Audi RS3, with the five-cylinder sedan’s time of seven minutes and 33.123 seconds only a touch over a second slower – again making less from its five-cylinder engine (294kW/500Nm) but weighing less too (1625kg).
Mercedes-AMG still holds the outright production car lap record around the Nürburgring, after the F1-derived AMG One lapped the track in an eye-watering six minutes and 35.183 seconds.
