Mercedes-AMG A 45 S is being forced into retirement and it's ending with a bang as 'Final Edition' is revealed

The Mercedes-AMG A 45 S is being forced into retirement but, for once, the reason isn’t just bureaucratic.

The small but spicy car is powered by an incredibly sophisticated engine, which actually broke a record when it came out.

But the market wants what it wants, and this wasn’t exactly the most popular AMG model out there.

Now, there’s a special Final Edition model, and it’s not cheap.

The AMG lineup is no longer as straightforward as it used to be

We wouldn’t want to sound like those people who complain that yesterday was better than today, but the old AMG lineup used to be a lot simpler.

In general, AMG variants would be made for all sedans, the G-Wagen, and all coupes, and convertibles.

Everything else would generally be left out.

Also, with exceptions, each model had one AMG variant, and the number would represent a reference to the cubic capacity.

As in, AMG 55 would imply a 5.5-liter engine.

Now, AMG variants come and go for all models, with newer and more complicated naming schemes, and a confusing mix-and-match fruit salad of engines.

Which leads us to the current A-Class, which has been available as AMG 35, AMG 45, and AMG 45 S.

The irony is that all three share a similar engine, and it’s much, much smaller than ’45’.

It’s the end of the road for the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S

Despite using a 2.0-liter engine, the high-output M139 powertrain powering the A 45 S became a legend in its own right, mostly because it produced a record-breaking 421 horsepower, making it the world’s most powerful production four-cylinder.

Now, that era is coming to a close.

Mercedes-AMG has officially revealed the A 45 S Final Edition, marking the end of the road for this wild hot hatch.

The reason, for once, has little to do with emissions regulations and more to do with low sales.

While it is true that the M139 engine is indeed being legislated out of existence, the A 45 S is on its way out simply by a lack of popularity.

Pity.

The last hurrah for the A 45 S comes with a new Mountain Grey Magno paint option – Night Black is also available – matte-black 19-inch forged wheels with yellow rim accents, new ’45 S’ door decals, and the full AMG Aerodynamics package.

Inside, AMG Performance seats feature yellow contrast stitching and embroidered headrests.

Despite being a send-off ‘run-out’ special model, Mercedes-AMG has not placed a strict numerical cap on it.

In the UK, the car will be priced at £67,965 (around $90,400) – £2,500 to £5,000 more than the standard A 45 S depending on optional packaging.

In Germany, pricing starts at €73,000 – equivalent to $83,200.