BMW M2 v Mercedes-AMG A45 S – car pictures of the week

BMW’s M division and Mercedes-AMG have approached the £65k performance question in very different ways. On the one hand, you've got the new M2 – a traditional M car in every sense of the term with a straight-six, rear-wheel drive and the option of a manual gearbox. Then there's the AMG A45 S – a four-wheel drive mega hatch with remnants of Mitsubishi Evo in its character. Which is best? We find out in the latest issue of evo, which is on sale now in-store or online via the evo shop.

Mercedes-AMG had its sights set on the Audi RS3 when designing the A45 S, and probably not a rear-drive straight-six coupe. Customers, on the other hand, will struggle to ignore the fact that you can get your hands on BMW’s baby M car for just a couple of grand more than the Mercedes…

In performance terms, the pair is evenly matched. The M2’s 454bhp plays 415bhp in the Mercedes, but the latter’s four-wheel drive traction makes up the difference off the line – both sprint to 62mph in around 4sec. Where they differ dramatically is in how they deliver their potential, and what the driver must do to extract it. 

‘The A45’s hatchback origins do make it feel more up on its toes and therefore more biddable and receptive to a more aggressive approach,’ said editor-in-chief Stuart Gallagher. ‘Once its Michlins hook onto your chosen line you can lean into the throttle much harder and earlier, asking the A45’s four-wheel drive system to hunt for grip to drive you through and out of the corner. It feels less expressive from behind the wheel than the M2 but it’s more effective and revels in being thrown around like a hot hatch’. 

Mighty though the A45 S is, can a four-cylinder hot hatch possibly be as seductive and rewarding as a big-chested bonafide M car? Find out by picking up a copy of evo issue 320 in-store or online.