MERCEDES-BENZ CLA

Beneath the skin of this four-door Merc coupe lies the guts of an AMG A45. While it might look like a traditional front-engined, rear-wheel-drive Benz, the CLA45 is powered by a transversely mounted turbocharged 2.0 engine, delivering its efforts to all four wheels. The 4Matic four-wheel-drive system operates in front-drive mode in normal driving, shifting a maximum of 50% of torque rearwards when slip is detected. You'll be flicking from apex to apex with impressive ease in no time. Pull the two shift paddles backwards to engage launch control and the thing explodes off the line to hit 60mph in 4.6sec. Inside, the CLA is fitted with a tunnel-mounted AMG-style shift lever in place of the CLA's column shifter. The CLA 45 AMG is more than just an A45 AMG with sleeker styling and a bigger boot. While it delivers the same earth-shattering pace when required (the world's highest output production engine per litre), it's a subtle take on the AMG philosophy with full Merc service history.