The Oddly Quiet New Mercedes-AMG A45 Is In Nurburgring Testing

There's no guarantee that these test mules' lack of exhaust noise under power is the finished article, but as they stand they're surprisingly hushed
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If it’s one thing that’s associated with AMG other than big, lairy powerslides, it’s noise. Wonderful, barrel-chested bass noise. The sort of sound that takes control of your head and heart, making you pull your happy face right in front of anyone you’re with.

It’s something that the A45 has never had in the same way as its larger brethren because it’s an inline-four. The new one has been caught in testing at Germany’s Nurburgring and it doesn’t seem to have found a solution yet – although we’ve got caveats to cover, here.

The Oddly Quiet New Mercedes-AMG A45 Is In Nurburgring Testing

Automotive Mike’s video opens with the car spied on the road, travelling a short distance near the famous Green Hell. There’s a pleasant growl as it pulls away through the automated gearbox, and then the exhaust pops and crackles away like a charcoal barbecue the size of the Death Star. Barely any throttle has been used so it’s obviously engineered to exaggerate. The Hyundai i30 N does much the same thing.

But on track the car barely seems to make a whisper as tyre squeal kills what exhaust character there is. At one point what looks like a 992 Porsche 911 pops up behind the A45, and its exhaust note is clear as a bell, so it’s not simply the poor-quality microphone used to record the sound here.

The Oddly Quiet New Mercedes-AMG A45 Is In Nurburgring Testing

To be fair, the A45 will almost certainly have selectable drive modes, some of which will be quieter than others. Perhaps these runs were carried out in the least aggressive mode of the bunch. Perhaps development on the fist-test-friendly quad-outlet exhaust isn’t finished yet.

Elsewhere on the car, the front wings may be camouflaged but we can see their extra flare. The lower part of the rear bumper will be a diffuser of as-yet unknown effectiveness, and the new body kit includes a roof spoiler and side skirts. The overall effect is probably less in-your-face than the production version will be. Series production is slated for 2019.

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Comments

Anonymous

Speaking of AMG Nürburgring testing, does anyone know what happened to the AMG GTR Black Series?

11/01/2018 - 15:18 |
24 | 0
trabant 601

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I am pretty sure that the black series name has been replaced by the R designation, so the current AMG GTR is the black series

11/01/2018 - 15:26 |
13 | 0
Markus Walker

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

It’s called AMG GT R Clubsport and I think it will be revealed sometime at the beginning of 2019

11/01/2018 - 21:34 |
4 | 0
Anthony 15

Null

11/01/2018 - 15:24 |
1 | 3

You know, the nurbugring is also used to fine tune the suspension and handling characteristics of the car and other aspects of it as well.

Just saying

11/01/2018 - 15:29 |
10 | 1

[DELETED]

11/09/2018 - 10:24 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

It’s probably going to be a hybrid.

11/01/2018 - 15:36 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Then it would be an “A53”, unless Mercedes adds an eletric motor to the A45 4 cylinder. That would be pretty cool.

11/01/2018 - 15:43 |
1 | 0
BlueLion205

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

It’s not. The engine is a variant of the M260, the standard 2liter inline four. There is a mild hybrid version of this engine called M264, but it’s only built for longitudinal engine setups

11/01/2018 - 16:04 |
0 | 0
5:19.55

Inb4 they reveal a 3 cylinders car

11/01/2018 - 15:45 |
1 | 0
BlueLion205

Either the test driver was forced to run in Eco-mode on the ring or the exhaust software isn’t on production standards yet.
On the 35AMG they turned the sound significantly down during development and they made it lose a significant amount of pops and crackles

11/01/2018 - 16:06 |
7 | 0
Serge Z

Mercedes in the near future:

We have set a Nürburgring record for fastest time in a 4 door, with a hatch that makes noise under 70db.

11/01/2018 - 16:43 |
53 | 0
Black Phillip

You know what isn’t quiet? This b*tch

11/02/2018 - 03:07 |
1 | 1
honye

You have to listen to a M2 Competition, completely ruined by German/EU-regulations…

11/05/2018 - 14:35 |
0 | 0