When the original Mercedes A45 came out it shook the hot hatch world to the core – a crazy dual-clutch hot hatchback that had more cross-country pace than most supercars yet could be driven daily and used as a family runabout. Then Audi hit the 400bhp mark with their RS3, and Mercedes went back to the drawing board...

But now we have a new model to feast on – the fire breathing A45S. Featuring a totally new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine it produces a frankly staggering 415bhp – in a fully warranted road car! – and 500Nm of torque. That means it can hit 62mph in just 3.9 seconds on the way to a 168mph top speed.

With the now-standard AMG Drivers Package, you also get a Drift Mode, just like in the E63S, where you can have all the power to the rear wheels only for sideways fun. Visually the A35 has softened the blow slightly, but the A45S gets bigger wheels, bigger brakes, wider arches and quad tailpipes at the rear, plus a bigger rear spoiler. Oh, and the now-standard huge Panamericana grille on the front marks this out as a top-level AMG model.

The A45S now only comes as the Plus model, so you get the awesome Aero Kit as standard and all the toys you could want - Panoramic roof, Burmester sound system, keyless go, Multibeam LED lights, and the list goes on!

There simply won’t be another car that can cover ground as fast as this, any road, any weather, and we're proud to be able to give this car away in the comp!