WHEN MERCEDES-AMG INVENTED THE MEGA-HATCH

The A45 broke new hot hatch ground, but early cars don't cost the earth

-  SAM PHILLIPS

You only need to peruse the first-gen AMG A45's specs to see why it lured so many hot hatch buyers away from segment leaders like the Audi RS3 and BMW M135i. This was Merc's first crack at a mega-hatch - it was so potent that a new hot hatch classification was needed - and they came out swinging. With 355bhp and 3321b ft - giving a stunning 0-62mph time of 4.6sec - the A45's engine was the most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder fitted to a production car at the time of its launch. And now, a decade later, you can have it on your driveway for as little as £10,000. We declared the A45 “the performance king of the class”. The four-pot delivered such beguiling grunt and mid-range torque that it could blast from 50-100mph far quicker than the RS3 and M135i, with a cacophony of whistles and growls to accompany it.