2014 Mercedes CLA45 AMG | video

Clever engineers have squeezed an astonishing 265 kilowatts of power and 450 Nm of torque from a little 2.0-litre engine for the CLA45 AMG. The high-pressure petrol turbocharged engine is the most powerful four-cylinder mass production engine ever made, and is married to a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox muscled up to deliver uber-fast shifts.

The all-wheel drive system feeds torque mainly to the front wheels under normal conditions, with the rear ones coming into play in just a tenth of a second when needed.

This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

Watch the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG in action here.