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Tracking the CLA45 - review/thoughts (vid and pics)
Hey guys! Since owning the 45 i've become addicted to getting it on the track just thought i'd share my thoughs on how it performs.
First off, I have KWv3 coilovers which makes the ride more capable than the standard suspension or sport suspension. Slightly negative camber, but nothing extreme.
I'm running 20 inch light weight forged HRE's wrapped in super sports.
Only running the Rebellion Stage 1 tune (420hp) for performance upgrades.
Handling - Is great! Oversteer is obvious, but i've learned to drive to compensate and steadily improving each time out. In retrospect, probably would be better if i had gone with 18 or 19 inch rims with more rubber for grip, but so far i've not had problems. I may try and get a 2nd set of used smaller rims for track time.
Speed - low and mid range torque really make the car shine. (Thanks Rebellion!) but the achilles heel is top end. Once I get past 100mph in the front straight, I start to slow in acceleration compared to the big V8's on the track. BUT...still very much in the game and it all comes down to driver skill.
Another complaint is awkward shifting... If i keep it in Sport auto, the transmission tends to upshift during some turns which makes for an unsmooth ride. I've since learned and am perfecting using the paddle shifters. I haven't looked at lap times to see how much different they are, BUT paddle shifting makes for a smoother flow as I can control when it shifts and it's simply more fun once you get the hang of it.
Here is a video with a 600hp Saleen trailing. I can always loose it coming out the turns into a straight, but it starts to catch up when i brake for my next turn...obviously. BUT, it never could get close enough to warrant a wave by. On the opposite side, when I started out behind the Saleen, I'd keep better than or even enough to warrant the driver to give me a pass by. (in my level DE events, no passing without a pointby.)
I can't vouch for their driver skill, but i know they've been released solo for some time now and I was release solo just this weekend. they have more track time, but i won't say who is more skilled. All i can say is the CLA45 performed just as well or better with these particular drivers. If the straights were longer, they'd blow by me
Great review and tanks for sharing. It's always good to get the owners perspective. A few more months and I'll get to experience it on the track as well. I'll be running KWs with the Rebellion tune but going with 19s, so very similar setups.
Great review and tanks for sharing. It's always good to get the owners perspective. A few more months and I'll get to experience it on the track as well. I'll be running KWs with the Rebellion tune but going with 19s, so very similar setups.
Tevi, I don't know how you are not pulling your skin off by the wait. Lol
Tevi, I don't know how you are not pulling your skin off by the wait. Lol
Oh the wait is getting harder and harder. I lost counts of how many times I built the car online lol only thing making it bearable is looking at the various mods that are coming out and establishing a budget for the stuff I want
Definitely should have gone 18 inch bro! I bought a set of track rims for my car and some dunlop direzza II's for my track day this month. How do the brakes hold up at the track? LMK thanks!
Definitely should have gone 18 inch bro! I bought a set of track rims for my car and some dunlop direzza II's for my track day this month. How do the brakes hold up at the track? LMK thanks!
Yeah, I wasn't thinking of track when I went with them lol.
Brakes...they are excellent. Stopping power is superb and very little fade. Longevity? I was able to put 13k miles on before getting two track events then finally needing to be changed.
FYI cost... Replacing pads (stock amg) and rotors with install cost me approx. 900bucks.
I got the front pads for 140 at a dealership and i can get the front rotors for 99 each online. as for the rears i doubt its much more. I'm considering getting Pagid RS29 after these new sets of front pads wear out. you shouldn't have had to change the rotors though, rotors should last a really long time especially with stock pads. check out this video by Jack Olsen, he says he got 11 years out of his last set of rotors loll!!' You Can Only Think About One Thing' – Jack Olsen's 1972 Porsche 911 (Youtube it!!!) I think i'm going to attempt the pad change and do a DIY, the rear pads need to be done by choosing it on the service menu of the car and should be pretty straight forward. As for the fronts, I think it shouldn't be any problem and relatively straight forward.
Btw, I got the front sensor warning at 10.500 miles w/out any track time hahaha. I flushed out the fluid to pretty recently since i'm planning to go to the track soon. Thinking about getting some motul fluid, a friend with a C63 Black swears by it and the Pagid pads as well. Says he changes the Pagids after 4 weekends of tracking... CRAZYYY
Damn... These pads are inconsistent then. That first set did well. But the rotors where definitly shot. The track time right before it did them in. I could have maybe gotten by with a little more time but they'd have squealed and then def couldn't handle the next track event.
Yes def flush brake fluids and upgrade if hadn't done with 6months.
You're going to have fun! Which track are you running?
Handling - Is great! Oversteer is obvious, but i've learned to drive to compensate and steadily improving each time out. In retrospect, probably would be better if i had gone with 18 or 19 inch rims with more rubber for grip, but so far i've not had problems. I may try and get a 2nd set of used smaller rims for track time.
Thanks for the feedback! I wouldn't know the 20s were too big without reading your comment. Your track skills, by the way, are pretty impressive. Very smooth and gradual input!
Thanks for the feedback! I wouldn't know the 20s were too big without reading your comment. Your track skills, by the way, are pretty impressive. Very smooth and gradual input!
well, i don't want to give impression that 20's don't work but smaller rim with more rubber would definitely be more beneficial. Still handles great as is though.
More rubber does not equate to benefits. The tire's compound is the most important aspect in regards to its handling characteristics. I believe for most beginners and novices, the smaller the rim size, the better. Bigger diameters often make the car much more twitchy due to the low profile sidewall. To some this may be a benefit but to most people, a slightly thicker sidewall provides a good balance of handling and safety. My current rims are 8.5 inch wide, .5 inch wider than oem 18 inch rims, and i still use the stock 235 width. Really wanted to go wider but after seeing Renntechs CLA45 AMG rims made by ADV.1, I bleieve I made the right choice. Hopefully more people start tracking their CLA so we can all meet up at a track event one day. There are two going to an event im going to this month at Willow Springs
03-02-2015, 11:40 PM
I wouldn't know the 20s were too big without reading your comment. Your track skills, by the way, are pretty impressive. Very smooth and gradual input! 
