Throwing the cat among the pigeons

The North Coast has seen Golf GTis and Audi S3s with some incredible power figures, but the war between German manufacturers to find the hottest hatch is getting tighter.

Mercedes is slotting in the world’s most powerful series production turbocharged four-cylinder motor into the Mercedes-AMG A45 S.

However, it seems the folks at RENNtech think it could do with some extra oomph, revealing extensive performance upgrades and visual modifications for Affalterbach’s hyper hatch.

The first stage comprises tweaks to the ECU and diverter valve, which the firm says provides a “quintessential blow-off sound”.

Thanks to these upgrades, the 2.0-litre petrol engine now produces a whopping 354 kW and 575 Nm of torque, which is sent to all four corners via the German automaker’s rear-biased 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system.

According to the Florida-based tuner, additional performance packages will be made available later in the first quarter of 2020.

Further equipped with a modified turbocharger and exhaust system, the second stage increases peak power to 410 kW, while in the hottest state of tune, the A45 S will churn out a massive 447 kW.

A downpipe, replete with a sports catalytic converter, can be specified at additional cost.

Other optional fitments include a suspension lowering kit and bespoke Vossen alloys, the latter offered in 19- or 20-inch guises.

Keen local owners will no doubt seek to import the package to fit retroactively to their models.

With this much power on tap, I hope no one launches the car from standstill – the world might spin the other way round.

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