Out in the Canadian wilderness of Calgary, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA 45 takes on the stunning and powerful 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and the 2024 BMW M2. However, aside from drag racing, these three beautiful monsters will also compete in a slalom challenge, a braking test, and finally, a sound test.
Long story short, during the drag races, the Mercedes won the first and third tries, with the BMW scoring the middle win. Unfortunately, the Cayman landed on the last spot in every single attempt. Some race and 0-60 acceleration times would have been nice, but alas, there were none to be had.
The AMG CLA 45 came in last place for the slalom challenge, finishing in 1:18 minutes. The 718 Cayman took home the silver medal, scoring 1:13 minutes on the clock, and the BMW was just one second faster, grabbing the gold in 1:12 minutes. Lastly, during the 100 mph or 160 kph braking test, the M2 stepped into the third position, the Porsche on the second step, and the Mercedes took home the gold again.
Overall, the AMG won the drag race and the brake test, scoring two crushing victories. So now, let's see what sort of mechanical jibber-jabber led the Mercedes AMG to victory, the BMW M2 in second place, and the Porsche Cayman GT4 to its demise.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz Downtown Calgary
The 2023 AMG CLA 45 is the first sportscar to grace us with its bitter-sweet swansong. It has a "handcrafted" AMG 2.0L inline-4 turbo engine that develops 382 horsepower at 6,500 rpm with 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of twist at 3,000-4,000 rpm.
Its SPEEDSHIFT DCT 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is responsible for sending all that power to the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system. On paper, it should go from 0 to 62 mph or 100 kilometers per hour in just 4.1 seconds. A base model with no fancy additions will run you for a starting MSRP of $66,500.
Its more recent and powerful version, the 2024 AMG CLA 45 S 4MATIC+ Coupe, is also available to purchase and starts from $65,400. This baby has a "handcrafted" AMG 2.0L inline-4 turbo engine, producing 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft or 500 Nm of torque. The 8-speed auto gearbox sends those horses to all four corners, allowing it to hit 62 miles per hour or 100 kph in 4.0 seconds, shaving an unimpressive 0.1 seconds.
If you're looking for something more humble, the $56,100 2025 AMG CLA 35 Coupe might be more suitable. Under the hood or bonnet, you'll find an "AMG-enhanced" 2.0-liter inline-4 turbo engine with hybrid assist that makes 302 hp at 5,800 rpm with 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) at 3,000-4,000 rpm of twist.
It's obviously not as fast as the one from the race, able to accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour (100 kph) in 4.8 seconds, making it 0.8 ticks slower. However, remember that the MSRP is also $10,400 cheaper, so you lose some, win some.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz Downtown Calgary
Next, there's the Porsche GT4, with its naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six engine capable of developing 414 horsepower and 309 lb-ft or 419 Nm of torque. The rear-wheel drive German sportscar can reach a maximum speed of 189 or 304 kilometers per hour, accelerating from 0 to 60 in 4.2 seconds or from 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) in 4.4 seconds.
If you're in the market for such a puppy, it could run you as much as $145,000 for a used 2022 version with only 995 miles or 1,601 kilometers on the odometer.
Last but certainly not least, the $64,000 2024 BMW M2 is also well-armed with a 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder M TwinPower Turbo engine that can output 453 hp with 406 lb-ft or 550 Nm of twist. The model has a 6-speed manual transmission mated to a rear-wheel drive system that propels it from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds.
A 2025 M2 Coupe starts from $64,900 and has a 3.0-liter BMW M TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder engine, which can develop 473 horses and 406 lb-ft or 550 Nm of torque. This one is 0.1 seconds faster, reaching 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. However, BMW claims that if you equip the 8-speed M Sport Automatic transmission, you can get there in 3.9 seconds.
If the boys from the "Mercedes-Benz Downtown Calgary" YouTube channel proved something, it's that no matter which car would have crossed the finish line first, it's clear that all three are winners. Between them, it would boil down to "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," as they say. That's unless you can afford all three and be done with it.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
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