Electric Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 laps the Nürburgring in 7:32

Mercedes-AMG’s new electric CLA 45 has set a Nürburgring-Nordschleife lap time of 7 minutes 32.070 seconds, putting it ahead of the Audi RS 3 and comfortably clear of the Honda Civic Type R.

The officially measured and notarised lap was completed by driver Kevin Berger on 28 July, using the full 20.832km Nordschleife layout. Mercedes-AMG says the time makes the CLA 45 4MATIC+ the fastest vehicle in its segment, although exactly where the four-door EV fits within the Nürburgring’s increasingly detailed record categories needs some context.

Its time is 1.053 seconds quicker than the facelifted Audi RS 3, which recorded a 7:33.123 lap in 2024. That car previously held the compact-class record, aided by its torque-splitting rear differential and optional Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres. Like the AMG, the Audi’s attempt covered the complete 20.832km circuit.

The CLA is also 12.811 seconds faster than the current Honda Civic Type R’s 7:44.881 lap. Honda’s time was set in 2023 and represented the benchmark for a front-wheel-drive production car at the time, although that record has since been narrowly beaten by the Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50.

Compared with the outgoing petrol-powered Mercedes-AMG A45 S, the electric CLA is in another league. The old hot hatch recorded a 7:48.8 lap during a Sport Auto test in 2020, making the new model around 16.7 seconds quicker.

There is a catch with that comparison: the A45 S time was set over the older 20.6km layout, rather than the full 20.832km course now used for official record attempts. The electric CLA’s true advantage would therefore be slightly larger than the raw figures suggest.

It is not the fastest compact production car around the Nordschleife, however. That title belongs to the BMW M2 CS, which completed the circuit in 7:25.534 during 2025. The two-door BMW is 6.536 seconds quicker, although AMG appears to classify the CLA in a different segment based on its electric powertrain and four-door body.

Nor is the CLA close to the outright production-car record, but then almost nothing is. The Mercedes-AMG One hypercar holds that honour with a 6:29.090 lap, making it just under 63 seconds quicker than its much smaller AMG stablemate.

Still, 7:32 is properly rapid for a compact four-door EV. The CLA 45 uses three liquid-cooled axial-flux motors, with two driving the rear axle and a third acting primarily as a booster on the front. Combined output peaks at 500kW, helping the car reach 100km/h in 2.7 seconds.

Because each motor can be controlled independently, the new AMG Performance 4MATIC+ system can vary torque between the axles and individual rear wheels. The car can also transition between rear- and all-wheel drive according to available grip and performance demands.

The record car ran on Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tyres and was fitted with the optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package. Its Race driving programme sharpens the accelerator, firms the adaptive dampers and prepares the drivetrain to sustain maximum performance.

A Predictive Performance Manager also studies the circuit’s layout and topography, deploying energy where it will have the greatest effect on the lap time. Drivers can select a Sprint strategy for one maximum-attack lap or Race mode for more consistent performance over several laps.

Energy comes from a 94kWh usable battery, with Mercedes-AMG claiming more than 670km of range for the CLA 45 saloon and 640km for the Shooting Brake. Those figures have not yet been confirmed as final WLTP ratings.

Sales are scheduled to begin in August 2026, but New Zealand availability and pricing are yet to be announced.

“AMG was born on the racetrack. Over the past nearly 60 years, we have proven with numerous vehicles that this DNA remains as strong as ever. The CLA 45 now writes the next chapter of that story,” says Mercedes-AMG chairman Dr Stefan Weckbach.