Brabus gets its grubby mitts on Mercedes CLA45 AMG

Brabus isn't afraid to get under the hood of any Mercedes-Benz to add a pinch more power and sharpen up the exterior, from the tiniest Smart all the way up to the big G-Class SUV. So it should come as no surprise that one of its latest releases is a tweaked version of the Mercedes CLA45 AMG with some red accents and more muscle.

Getting right down to what we care about the most, Brabus' version of the CLA45 benefits from an additional 39 horsepower (29 kilowatts) and 37 pound-feet (50 Newton-meters) of torque to bring total power to 394 horses and 369 lb-ft of torque. Buyers can opt to leave the top speed limiter at 155 miles per hour or do the smart thing and raise it to 168. The company claims the changes are enough to bring the 0-60 mph time down to 4.2 seconds, compared to 4.4 seconds in stock form.

To back up the extra power, the tuner makes the CLA more aggressive with a red-accented body kit with new trim piece at the front, a roof-edge spoiler and rear lip spoiler. Multiple wheel designs are also available, but these red-banded, five double-spoke 19-inch wheels fit the look the best and match the added color on the grille and mirrors. The interior wears more crimson adornment, and Brabus allows buyers to cover nearly every surface with Alcantara if they wish.

Brabus has done a good job making the CLA45 AMG look more aggressive without taking things too far into gaudy world. Too bad the company's cars are somewhat rare on this side of the pond.