The New Black!
revozport mulgari mercedes a45 amg project 45
by Tommaso Mogge
Photo credits: Nick Williams
About black, to be honest, it has little or nothing, as the muse of this 1 of 1 special A45 AMG is the exaggerated SLS Black Series. Imagine turning the ferocious coupe with gull-wing doors and that massive rear spoiler in a comfortable five-doors hatch, keeping the menacing look of the supercar, and even the color pattern with which it was first presented to the press a few years ago – that combination of black carbon fiber and yellow that makes it so unique and ready to knock on the door of a territory made of more exotic names, but that challenges without fear, thanks to noteworthy performance. A pocket rocket or just a baby AMG? Apparently these two definitions seem to be so close to each other, but if you take into account that the Mercedes sports department has always (but not always) to do with V8s and V12s, imagine a 2-liter4-cylinder in the form of a missile for every day, and this may seem a stretch.
That said, the desires of a British customer have found concrete expression thanks to the work of Revozport and Mulgari Automotive, a joint venture that led to the creation of this A45 AMG dubbed Project 45. Let’s start off by saying that there are mechanically changes to the suspension and the ECU, but to date no particular specification has been told yet. Not bad, since the 360HP 2.0 turbo engine bites well already in the original version, mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, which optimizes a maximum 450Nm of torque on both axles. These numbers underline how at performance level the A45 had no need of power increases, as it is exceptional on all types of road and ground conditions, without suffering from excessive understeer. Thanks to a short wheelbase, the A45 AMG manages to be thrown into corners with the agility of a cat chasing a juicy mouse, after a few days of strict diet. Regardless of any judgment, it is and still remains a pocket rocket, capable of hurting sports cars with twice the price, if not triple. The work made on this specific model is a step or two further the “Edition 1” kit that the same AMG offers to its sporty customers. Much more visible carbon fiber, as we have said, in particular the engine bonnet which has been left rough, also to match the new black wheels, but also other carbon fiber profiles, like the front splitter, the new diffuser and the rear spoiler. Side skirts and a more down to the ground height, close the circle of the aesthetic upgrades of this unique model.
Happy to see that there are still people willing to stand out from the masses, looking for something particular, but without necessarily distorting the line or the characteristics of the original car, as often happens in the world of tuning. A connotation that has as its main imprint the DNA of the most outstanding and brutal supercar that the three-pointed star has produced in recent years, recalled in an intelligent way and never exaggerated – or exacerbated – on a car that is still able to be used for your everyday agenda, without raising an obsessive attention around it, except for the yellow color, which nevertheless goes perfectly with the black parts. It is pleasing to see how the word “tuning” and “extreme” can still be placed close without carrying an avalanche of laughs and criticism. An unofficial A45 AMG Black Series if you want, but that answers perfectly the question of the person that asked for it.