What do the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG and a skateboard have in common?
They both look good in black-and-white, and they're both piloted by guys in helmets.
At least, in this video produced by Mercedes' South African arm, they are. In it, the A45 chases a skateboarder down South Africa's Franschhoek Pass, with plenty of gratuitous slo-mo and tire smoke on the way. Mercedes' new hot hatch never looked so cool.
The A45 AMG is powered by a turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, putting out an impressive 360 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. That makes it the world's most powerful production four-cylinder.
That power is harnessed by an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT dual-clutch transmission and AMG's own all-wheel drive system.
Mercedes says the A45 will do 0 to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds. As with most AMG cars, top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.
American buyers won't get a chance to experience that in the A45, but they will get the same powertrain in the upcoming 2014 CLA45 AMG four-door coupe.
Maybe Mercedes' U.S. arm will make a video of its own, featuring the CLA45 and a skateboarder careening down a mountain pass. Or maybe, instead of a skateboarder, a guy on a motorcycle. Or a motorized bar stool. Just to be different.
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