In standard form, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class EV already makes a strong impression with its standout efficiency and a starting price below $50,000. However, the car becomes far more exciting for driving enthusiasts in AMG specification. The first-ever electric CLA45 has still not been confirmed for the American market anytime soon, but buyers in Europe will get an outrageous 680-horsepower tri-motor setup in this rapid sub-compact. As expected, that translates into serious pace on a circuit, and at the Nürburgring Nordschleife it has recorded a lap time of 7:32.07.

That figure was achieved by driver Kevin Berger during an official AMG record attempt, placing the compact saloon one second ahead of the latest Audi RS3 in the contest among sub-compact four-door performance cars. It also puts the new AMG just one second behind a Porsche-run 997-generation 911 GT2 record lap from 2007, coming very close to a benchmark set by rally legend Walter Rohrl.

Although the lap is undeniably quick, there are very few sub-compact performance EVs currently on sale, which means the CLA has almost nothing in its narrowly defined segment against which to measure itself. It is around seven seconds slower than the quickest lap posted by anything close to a sub-compact, a 7:25.5 recorded by a BMW M2 CS last year, but the CLA’s run stands as a record for any vehicle of its size with a four-door body style.

This appears to be only the beginning for electric AMG records at the Nürburgring. While nothing in the brand’s EV pipeline currently looks capable of threatening the outright 6:29 lap record Mercedes-AMG set with the AMG One hypercar, the forthcoming four-door AMG GT EV should move closer thanks to its nearly 1200-hp powertrain. And unlike the CLA AMG variant, which still has not been confirmed for the American market, that AMG GT EV is definitely on its way to the United States.