COLIN GOODWIN

of 168mph and using the aforementioned launch control it will do 0-62mph in 3.9sec which puts it into company with supercars and not four-door hatchbacks that will take your family shopping or on holiday.

That job the A45 S will do, but if those journeys involve rough road surfaces then your family or friends will not thank you.

The ride comfort isn’t that bad considering the big wheels, brakes and sports-orientated suspension set-up, especially in the Comfort setting. But what is almost unbearable is the tyre noise on certain surfaces. On some roads that we drove the car on it was virtually impossible to hear the audio system over the racket.

Grip, even on damp roads, is quite astounding. The steering has loads of feel and the way the car catapults itself out of corners as the fourwheel-drive system and traction control manipulate the torque is astounding. This car has giant-killing performance.

The A-Class in its cheapest form is a class act, yet Mercedes has thrown even more at the car’s already impressive interior for this big-buck and big-bang

Looks not for everyone but it’s a brilliant drive.

Compact, powerful and great fun. One of the best performance cars you can buy.

Super exclusive version of the Trophy. Bristles with carbon this and forged that. version. Heated sports seats are standard while our Plus-spec car adds leather and also brushed aluminium that looks excellent alongside the gloss black plastic on the rest of the dashboard.

I’ve seen a car in yellow with matching stitching inside plus some yellow detailing and it looked even better inside and out than our grey test vehicle. If you’re going to buy a car as extreme as this one you might as well go the whole hog.

The A45 S, despite its prodigious performance, is still a highly practical car. There is plenty of head and legroom in the back for even tall adults. The boot is the same size as all A-Classes at 370 litres and there are a good number of storage cubby holes dotted around the cabin.

The A45 S is most definitely the car for the committed MercedesBenz fan who happens also to love the concept of having the fastest hot hatch around. It’ll eat rivals like the Honda Civic Type R and Renault Megane RS Trophy for breakfast. For the rest of us we’d be paying too much money for performance that we’d not be able to use on the public road... or at least not very often.

Aston Martin has just released details of the all-new

3.0-litre V6 engine that will power many of its future models including the

Valhalla supercar that’s due to go into production in 2022.

Aston Martin currently uses Mercedes’ twin-turbo V8 engine in the DBX SUV and its Vantage V8 model.

The V6 unit, which also has twin turbochargers, is the first new engine built in-house by the company since 1968. The motor will also be combined with hybrid technology to improve efficiency.

Production of the stunning Polestar 2 electric saloon has begun in China, with cars destined for Europe in the summer (virus permitting).

Polestar is Volvo’s electric brand and the 2 is its first serious production model. Not only does it look terrific but it comes with a serious punch.

Power output is a total of 408bhp with all-wheel drive and a 78kWh battery that gives the car a maximum range of just under 300 miles.

Using the launch control it’ll do 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds