TheCLA45AMGRacingSeriesconceptcarthatiscelebratingitsworldpremiereattheIAAinFrankfurt/Main providesapreviewofanothercustomersportracingcarfromMercedesAMG.TheCLA250Sport,meanwhile, canalsobelabelledas"engineeredbyAMG".FollowingitsdebutattheIAA,thissportystandardproduction modelwillbearrivingindealershowroomsinDecember2013.

TheCLA45AMGRacingSeriesdemonstratesourdesiretofurtherincreaseourcommitmenttocustomer motorsport.Wearealsoseekingtoofferinterestedcustomerteamsacompetitive,nearstandardracingcarwith anexcellentlevelofsafetyinthepopularfourcylindersegment,"saysOlaKllenius,CEOofMercedesAMG GmbH."ThetremendoussuccessoftheSLSAMGGT3,whichisnowbeingracedbycustomerteamsacrossfive differentcontinents,makesushighlyconfident."Inadditiontoastringofindividualracewins,theSLSAMGGT3 alsorackedupanumberofchampionshiptitles,includingtheFIAGT3EuropeanChampionship(2012),theFIA GT1WorldChampionship(2012),aswellastheADACGTMasterstitle(2012).In2013theSLSAMGGT3even managedtotakethegrandslamofGT3enduranceclassicswithfourvictoriesinsuccession.

TheCLA45AMGRacingSeriesisdestinedforthecrowdpullingraceseriesfeaturing2.0litreturbochargedcars andmaybedeployedinternationallyifdemandishighenough.Thetechnicalspecificationswillvaryaccordingto theracerulesandraceseries.Theengineoutputandpowertransmissionarevariable,withpermanentallwheel driveorpurelyfrontwheeldrivepossibleasinthestandardversion.

Chassisandbody:pureracingcartechnology Thespecialracingsuspensionhasawidertrackatthefrontandrear,andallowsnumerousadjustmentsforan individualracetracksetup.Thesuspensionlevel,springrateanddampercharacteristicsareadjustable,asarethe trackandcamberatthefrontandrearaxles.TheAMGhighperformancebrakingsystemwithventilateddiscs allroundisequippedwithanantilocksystem.

Typicalracingcarfeaturesmadecompletelyfromcarbonfibre(CFRP)maketheextravagantdesignofthe standardCLA45AMGevenmorespectacular:theyincludeanewfrontandrearapron,flaredwingsandsidesill panels.Inaddition,treadlessracingtyresensureanimpressivewidth.Thankstocarbonfibrerearwingsand largecoolingaperturesforengineandbrakecooling,theCLA45AMGRacingSeriesmakesanimposing impressionevenwhenstationary.Foruseontheracetrack,thealreadygoodaerodynamicattributesofthe fourdoorhighperformancecouparefurtheroptimisedbythenewlydevelopedcarbonfibrecomponents:the frontapronwithafrontsplitterensuresadditionaldownforce,asdothereardiffuserwiththreefinsandthe adjustablerearaerofoil.Theairintakeinthesidesillpanelsaheadoftherearwheelsensureseffectivecoolingof therearbrakes.

Afunctionalracingcaratmospherepredominatesintheinterior:therollovercageismadeofhighstrengthsteel. AnexemplarylevelofsafetyisensuredbythecarbonfibreP1300GTracingbucketseatfromRecaro,preparedfor

theHANSsystem(HeadandNeckSupport),andtheintegratedfireextinguishingsystem.Theracingsteering wheelwithshiftpaddlesforgearshiftsallowsperfectvehiclecontrol.

Dynamiclooks:theCLA250Sport The"engineeredbyAMG"tagalsoappliestotheCLA250Sport,thenewsportymodelfortheroadinthe CLAClassrange.Itsfourcylinderenginewithadisplacementof1991ccproducesanoutputof155kW(211hp) anddelivers350Nmofpeaktorquebetween1200and4000rpm.The7GDCTdualclutchtransmissionwithits sportiersetupisfittedasstandard.TheCLA250Sportisavailabletoorderfrom7Octoberfor42,304.50 (including19%VAT).ItwillappearindealershowroomsinDecember2013.

The"AMGLine"equipmentlineisincludedontheCLA250Sportasstandard."Sport"badgesadornthefront wings.TheCLA250Sportfeaturesexclusive18inchAMGlightalloywheelsina5spokedesignwith235/40R18 tyresallroundandpaintedinblackwithahighsheenfinish,togetherwithredpaintedbrakecallipers.Thesegive avisualindicationofthevehicle'sparticularlydynamicdrivingqualitieswhicharecharacterised,amongstother features,byaspecialAMGdevelopedfrontaxleandachassisthathasbeentunedtomatch,includingAMG speedsensitivesportssteering.Withitsspecialengineandtransmissionconfigurationaswellasanadapted ESPsetup,theCLA250Sportpromisesaveryspecialdrivingexperience,whichisenhancedfurtherbythe emotionstirringsoundproducedbythemodifiedexhaustsystem.

ReddetailingontheAMGfrontandrearapronsservestofurtherunderlinethismodel'sexpressivepositioning. Thehighlightingeffectiscarriedthroughintotheinteriorwithdesignoseatbeltsinred.