It has become a tradition for Mercedes Benz to launch every new exciting model with a souped up Edition 1 version. They recently announced the CLA Edition 1, and it was wonderful. In the case of the new A45 AMG, the treatment has turned into a bit of overkill.

The standard A45 is a good looking car with discrete AMG styling cues. The Edition 1 version is the exact opposite. There is no discretion here. It comes right out of the closet and into your face. Performance-wise, it is the same as the normal A45 with a 360-hp engine and 4Matic AWD system.

The car sports a larger front splitter with additional winglets on the bumper, a more prominent grille, carbon side skirts and mirror caps, and a big rear wing, also made of carbon fiber. You also get different colors for your 19-inch AMG wheels, and red brake calipers to shine behind them. Other available exterior goodies include blacked out trims, tailpipes, and accenting as part of the Night package, which also includes privacy glass.

The Edition 1 treatment is customizable, which means you don’t have to pick all of the above. You may, however, want to select every interior option, as it includes AMG performance edition steering wheel, gear lever, and seats, with red accenting and red trims all over the cabin, plus an Edition 1 badge on the dashboard.

As always, the Edition 1 version is going to cost a whole lot more than the standard model, but then it is more exclusive.