In the 2024 model year, the rarest new Mercedes won’t be a high-speed supercar like the AMG-GT Coupe. It won’t be a special edition of a legend like the G-Wagen.
No, it will be one of Mercedes’ most affordable cars, the subcompact CLA-Class. At least, that’s what it will look like if you’re not paying attention when it passes you.
The German automaker this week announced plans to release just 25 copies of an ultra-high-performance CLA with distinctive design details to let those in the know tell it apart. We’d call it a sleeper if it didn’t have the AMG logo painted in huge letters low on the doors.
The 2025 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S Edition 1 has 25 characters in its mouthful of a name and will have just 25 owners. Each will pay $82,345 (including a $1,150 destination charge).
416 Horsepower, Orange Accents Everywhere
There are other AMG CLA 45 sedans. This one carries the same hand-built 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, making a — wait, did you say four cylinders? — 416 horsepower. That power goes through an 8-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels, with 4Matic+ all-wheel drive (AWD) standard.
Inside, AMG Performance sport seats come upholstered in black microfiber with orange stitching. The headrests wear Edition 1 branding. “Striking accents further extend to the instrument panel with orange contrast stitching, red illuminated AMG door sill panels, and Edition 1-specific lighting in red,” Mercedes says.
The model “arrives soon at U.S. dealerships,” Mercedes says. But I wouldn’t wait for one to show up in a local dealership if I were interested. These will likely all go to buyers who call their dealer to make early arrangements.
