The Mercedes A45 AMG is looking to pick a fight with the Audi RS3 in this drag race

Performance compacts are currently delivering supercar-level performance, while also offering great versatility and comfort. At the same time, within this segment of the automotive market there is also a fierce battle among these small sports cars. All of them aim to offer the best balance between sportiness and versatility, becoming fast and fun vehicles that can also be driven calmly around the city or taken on a long journey. Today, however, we are going to see the wilder side of the Mercedes A 45 AMG and the Audi RS3.

Both German models are characterised by offering very similar performance, but someone wanted to reduce those similarities to zero, showing which of the two is faster. To carry out this task, both the A 45 and the RS3 headed to a drag strip to face off and put everything on the track in order to take the victory.

Let’s remember that the two German hot hatchbacks offer very similar power outputs, and both feature all-wheel drive, but the two protagonists of today’s video have some modifications under the bonnet. As standard, the Mercedes has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 381 CV and 475 Nm of torque, making it one of the most powerful in its segment.

On the other hand, the Audi RS3 uses a five-cylinder 2.5 TFSI engine that produces 400 CV. However, we should remember that the A-Class is about to be replaced by its next generation, and its AMG version will be considerably more powerful than the current one. In this case, though, both compacts reach 450 CV thanks to an ECU modification and several exhaust components.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo9eh6M7_Xs

In the video where we can see the race, both models use the Launch Control system to get off the line as quickly as possible and take the lead. The Quattro all-wheel-drive system helps the RS3 take the lead, although the A 45 performs well as it stays right on the heels of the Audi. On the other hand, the model with the four rings may have more CV than the one with the star, which makes it harder to beat it on the track.

Without a doubt, it is an effective way to see how one of the two vehicles overtakes the other. However, we must admit that both the RS3 and the A 45 are very fast and powerful models, offering the feel of true supercars for a much less outrageous price.