Mercedes-Benz has set the 2027 CLA 45 AMG loose at the Nürburgring and returned with a ‘best in class’ lap time.

The three-motor EV was sent to the famed 20.832km Nordschleife circuit to demonstrate that the switch to an electric powertrain hasn’t diminished the CLA’s performance.

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With a time of 7:32.07, the new CLA 45 sits a long way from the fastest laps recorded at the ‘Green Hell’, but Merc is calling the officially measured and notarised result a record, albeit a very specific one.

The CLA 45’s effort makes it quicker around the circuit than the Porsche Taycan Turbo S EV, which posted a time of 7:33.35 in 2023, as well as the Ferrari 458 Italia (7:32.92) and BMW M8 Competition (7:32.92 on a slightly shorter 20.6km lap).

Mercedes-Benz tops the list of lap times for street-legal vehicles, with the AMG One laying down a record more than one minute quicker at 6:29.09. The fastest EV time is held by the BYD-produced Yangwang U9 Xtreme (6:59.157), while the electric Xiaomi Su7 Ultra claims the fastest unmodified four-door time (7:04.957).

By definition, the CLA 45 sits in Europe’s ‘C-segment’ vehicle class, putting it in the same category as vehicles like the Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Corolla. Its chief C-segment rival, the BMW M2 CS, set a much better time of 7:20.89 in 2025.

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To justify the record, Mercedes-Benz defines the CLA 45 AMG as the fastest ‘four-door compact car’ around the Nürburgring, allowing it to sidestep the BMW coupe’s quicker time, and putting the EV ahead of the Audi RS3 sedan’s 7:35.522 time, set in 2021.

Testing by Sport Auto in 2022 saw the previous-generation CLA 45 record a 7:45.34 lap on the shorter 20.6km circuit, 13.27 seconds behind the current model.

The pace-setting car was running with optional equipment including the AMG Dynamic Plus package, which adds a ‘Race’ mode driving profile, a higher 270km/h speed limiter (up from 250km/h), and adjustments to the operating parameters for the adaptive suspension, steering, accelerator pedal, and stability control.

The record attempt was set with the car running a set of Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tyres, the same as those fitted to the BMW M2 CS and Audi RS3 sedan for their record runs.

Specifications for the CLA 45 AMG include a 450kW constant power output that can increase to a 500kW peak, tri-motor all-wheel drive with one front and two rear motors, and a 94kWh battery for an estimated driving range up to 670km in calmer conditions. Acceleration to 100km/h takes a claimed 3.0 seconds from standstill, or 2.7 seconds with a one-foot rollout.

Compared to the 2.0-litre turbocharged model it replaces, the new CLA 45 is 190kW more powerful, 1.1 seconds quicker to 100km/h from a starting start, but its kerb weight is more than 590kg heavier.