RE: Mercedes-AMG A35: Driven

[JMF894]

Andy20vt said:

There's always that one dick who has to mention motorbikes on a thread about cars!

It's cos they're faster and cheaper innit bruv....................

From one dick to anuvva!

[aeropilot]

Oh dear, I guess I'm not the target audience for this car as I saw the thread title and opened it expecting to see an article about someone that had managed to shoehorn an AMG V8 into one of these..........

[tril]

Ares said:

petrolhead4 said:

tril said:

The Merc would need to do 3.5 in the real world to be faster than the RS3, because Audi drastically under-report their 0-60 times. Would be hilarious if the brand new A45 was still slower than the current RS3.

I don't think the new A45 will be faster than the RS3.

The Audi makes 394bhp between 5850 and 7000RPM and 354lb-ft between 1700 and 5850RPM. The current A45 doesn't make it's 370HP until 6000RPM and the 350lb-ft is available between 2250 and 5000PM.

In short, the Audi makes more power and more torque over more of the rev range than the A45. Unless Mercedes can do something special with the new A45 this will remain the case for the next generation of cars.

But Merc probably don't give a st about a now meaningless 0-60 sprint time.

Of course they do, because it's a standard yardstick of performance. Fairly easy to understand that one is quite a lot faster than the other despite their similar price and power numbers. Merc definitely care that an RS3 can easily walk an A45.

[nickfrog]

Sounds like a plan. Or winters on 18 fit the M2.

[Barga]

nickfrog said:

Sounds like a plan. Or winters on 18 fit the M2.

Having had a few BMWs over the years even on winters they are useless in the snow.

[Onehp]

Barga said:

Living in the Highlands for most of the winter and living 600m above sea level the 4x4 option is not essential but comes in quite handy for getting home!
The New M2 is still top of the list with maybe a Panda 4x4 over the winter as I am not quite the driving god that you are!

Seriously don't get this. Unless you're talking about off roading and/or an 20% incline, just get a set of proper winter tyres...

[aeropilot]

Barga said:

nickfrog said:

Sounds like a plan. Or winters on 18 fit the M2.

Having had a few BMWs over the years even on winters they are useless in the snow.

My BMW 135i on winters was great fun in snow, and didn't get stuck, unlike a work collegue's Audi TT on Goodyear F1's that couldn't even get out the work car park after a mere 4/5 inches of snow fell during one day.

[cayman-black]

Brooking10 said:

It’s already there .....

I had a look at it yesterday.

It’s under A Class as opposed to AMG

Approx £42k in maxed out specification.

Thanks, Brooking found it.

[cayman-black]

[quote=Deep Thought]

Thanks for dropping in from mumsnet.

[Barga]

Onehp said:

Barga said:

Living in the Highlands for most of the winter and living 600m above sea level the 4x4 option is not essential but comes in quite handy for getting home!
The New M2 is still top of the list with maybe a Panda 4x4 over the winter as I am not quite the driving god that you are!

Seriously don't get this. Unless you're talking about off roading and/or an 20% incline, just get a set of proper winter tyres...

Ok.

[nickfrog]

Barga said:

nickfrog said:

Sounds like a plan. Or winters on 18 fit the M2.

Having had a few BMWs over the years even on winters they are useless in the snow.

Sorry to hear that. My experience has been quite opposite. Incredible amounts of friction/traction/lat grip on both Conti 810s and Nokians D3

[cayman-black]

The 4x4 part appeals to me as well. Depends where you live i suppose.

[Onehp]

Barga said:

Ok.

Owned rwd cars for 9 years in Sweden (3 years with my driveway a 12% incline), and really miss them during winter... But we're all different I suppose.

Edited by Onehp on Thursday 6th December 14:58

[Barga]

Onehp said:

Barga said:

Ok.

Owned rwd cars for 9 years in Sweden (3 years with my driveway a 12% incline), and really miss them during winter... But we're all different I suppose.

Edited by Onehp on Thursday 6th December 14:58

Yep.

[Ares]

tril said:

Ares said:

petrolhead4 said:

tril said:

The Merc would need to do 3.5 in the real world to be faster than the RS3, because Audi drastically under-report their 0-60 times. Would be hilarious if the brand new A45 was still slower than the current RS3.

I don't think the new A45 will be faster than the RS3.

The Audi makes 394bhp between 5850 and 7000RPM and 354lb-ft between 1700 and 5850RPM. The current A45 doesn't make it's 370HP until 6000RPM and the 350lb-ft is available between 2250 and 5000PM.

In short, the Audi makes more power and more torque over more of the rev range than the A45. Unless Mercedes can do something special with the new A45 this will remain the case for the next generation of cars.

But Merc probably don't give a st about a now meaningless 0-60 sprint time.

Of course they do, because it's a standard yardstick of performance. Fairly easy to understand that one is quite a lot faster than the other despite their similar price and power numbers. Merc definitely care that an RS3 can easily walk an A45.

If that were true, they'd make sure they beat it.

[cayman-black]

Just configured one over in Europe 57000 euros, wow, but that did include the AMG seats(not leather) and steering switches.
Is the AMG suspension worth adding?


It's unbelievable those seats are not offered in the UK

[Nickbrapp]

Deep Thought said:

The base car with AMG Style Pack and Premium Package and metallic paint (which seems to cover most things) its coming in at around £39,900. Assuming that the usual 10% or so discount will be avail once the initial furore dies down then that brings the car back to around £36K.

That makes it expensive for an R or S3 rival, but maybe relatively cheap as an A45 alternative and the "opportunity" to get in to an AMG car?

Ticking a few options to get a s3 to the same spec with a pan roof etc, you soon get into the 40k market so I would wager it’s a good rival spec for spec. There’s golf Rs out there for sale for £41k too

[mrnoisy78]

All those saying 1500kg is normal for an AWD car remember the old permanent AWD Imprezas weighed in at just 1350kg; with all the new materials available now you’d think they’d be able to do better. You’ll probably find the extra weight comes from all the electrical crap manufacturers insist on putting in nowadays. Electric seats, automatic braking, bit mental how it now weighs 200kg more on average!
Just think how much quicker a Golf would be.

[Ares]

mrnoisy78 said:

All those saying 1500kg is normal for an AWD car remember the old permanent AWD Imprezas weighed in at just 1350kg; with all the new materials available now you’d think they’d be able to do better. You’ll probably find the extra weight comes from all the electrical crap manufacturers insist on putting in nowadays. Electric seats, automatic braking, bit mental how it now weighs 200kg more on average!
Just think how much quicker a Golf would be.

You're forgetting the Imprezas were made of paper thin tin and cheap plastics, plus required structural rigidity has enforced adding a lot of weight.
For a Merc to be only 150kg heavier 20yrs on is actually quite a feat IMO.

[Onehp]

mrnoisy78 said:

All those saying 1500kg is normal for an AWD car remember the old permanent AWD Imprezas weighed in at just 1350kg;

Everybody remembers the Mk1 STI, that was indeed light. 16" TE37 5,2kg forged rims, I had a set... but that car is quite small... and crash safety wasn't all that great either...

But if we compare the normal WRX STI's (all EU weights with 75kg driver for fair comparison, declared weight and magazine weighed respectively):
2002 Sti 265hp 2002: 1545kg -1580kg
2005 Sti 280hp 2005: 1570kg -1590kg
2008 STi 300 hp: 1580kg - 1623kg
2010 STi S 300hp 2010: 1570kg -1590kg

So I would say that 1500kg for an AWD car, designed from the outset for 300ish hp also (the whole driveline has to be dimensioned for the torque) and where you have a reasonable chance in surviving a crash at normal roads speed, indeed IS normal....

Edited by Onehp on Friday 7th December 13:04