Here’s one for the Hot Wheels collector – would you like one of your (tiny) cars to be blown up to full size? That’s exactly what Mercedes-Benz and Mattel explored, turning the new CLA into a literal life-sized toy.
Of course, this is not the first such attempt at a Hot Wheels for adults, but this time the two companies have taken the concept to new extremes. Not only does the art car, as its so called, feature a lurid black, pink and blue livery, but it also comes with solid moulded “windows”, fake shutlines and glossy wheels that appear to offer as much grip as an oiled bowling lane.
Hot Wheels cars are known for their exaggerated styling, and this CLA is no different, equipped with an outlandish DTM-style widebody kit with stretched fenders, aero fins and a massive rear wing and diffuser. Capping off this cool exercise are orange turbofan-like wheels with silver centres that mimic the axle ends of a Hot Wheels car, neatly embellished with the Mercedes logo.
To recap, the actual CLA is fully electric (a hybrid version will be offered later on), available in 272 PS/335 Nm single-motor CLA250+ and 354 PS/515 Nm dual-motor CLA350 forms. Novel features include a Porsche Taycan-style two-speed rear transmission, up to 792 km of range coming from an 85 kWh battery and the ability to DC fast charge at up to 320 kW. Those used to Hot Wheels cars will be disappointed to know that not only does this thing need to be charged, but it can only be done at specific DC chargers.
While this CLA art car is a one-off, collectors will be able to buy the 1:64 version when it enters store shelves next spring. As for the drivable CLA, that should be launched in Malaysia pretty soon given that registrations of interest have already been opened.
GALLERY: The actual Mercedes-Benz CLA at Auto Shanghai 2025 
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