We live in an era where hot hatches are divided into two different performance categories: the normal hot-hatches, which are the ones that offer all the usual traits and the so-called hyper hatches, a new breed of compact performance cars that pack so much grunt, they can easily embarrass a less skilled supercar driver at the traffic lights.
Both the Mercedes-AMG A45 and the Honda Civic Type R belong to the hot-hatch universe; but the German model is the one packing significantly more power and a bigger price tag.
The point of this drag race is not to find out which of the two models is the fastest on a straight line, but rather to see how much more performance you get for £10k over the sticker price of a 306hp Civic Type R.
We know already that the Mercedes-AMG A45 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo that sends 376hp to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Mercedes claims a 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in an astonishing 4.2 seconds. If you wonder exactly how much faster off the line that Merc really is from the Honda in order to decide whether it deserves the extra money or not, watch the latest CarWow video linked below and tell us what you think in the comments.