Mercedes-Benz CLA Diecast Exaggerated Artwork Previews Hot Wheels

It’s been several months now since German carmaker Mercedes-Benz introduced the third generation of the CLA (that happened back in March), but somehow the company manages to keep the model in the news. This time, thanks to a collaboration with diecast toymaker Hot Wheels.
 

Having toy Mercedes cars in a display is not unheard of for Hot Wheels collectors (quite the opposite, really), but most of them will probably be happy to learn that the new CLA will get a scale version as soon as the spring of next year (2026). How do we know this? Thanks to the artwork depicted in the gallery attached to this article.
 
What you’re looking at is the result of a new chapter in the Hot Wheels “multi-collaboration series with the Mercedes-Benz CLA,” which was presented by the two companies this weekend at the Race Service workshop in Los Angeles and then went off to take part in the Hot Wheels Legends Tour in El Segundo, California.
 
The massive CLA replica is part of the Hot Wheels ‘Play Beyond Limits: Hot Wheels’ effort, and it is a one-off piece of art that shows exaggerated proportions, bright colors, and the unmistakable look of Hot Wheels toys.
 
Painted in a combination of bright orange, pink, and blue, with oversized flames and the Hot Wheels script on its bodywork, the massive toy car displays simply huge diffusers and a matching spoiler at the rear, installed right above the Mercedes-Benz star.
 
The entire design, say its creators, is meant to come across as a “retro-futuristic look reminiscent of 1980s pop culture,” but also a “tribute to the boundless imagination of childhood.” To me, however, is just a taste of what to expect from the next Hot Wheels CLA interpretation.
 

While we wait for that to come along, I reckon a quick reminder of what the new CLA is all about is in order. After all, we are talking about the most advanced of its kind that ever came along in its 12-year history, but also the smartest, and a preview of future Mercedes-Benz cars to come.
 
When the car was presented back in March, it was revealed that it would first come into the world as an electric vehicle (just like the Shooting Brake version that was presented a tad later, in July), but we also got promises of a hybrid powertrain (one that pairs an internal combustion engine with a 48-volt technology and an electric motor integrated into the transmission) joining the range by the end of the year, followed later on by more BEVs.
 
So, the new CLA entered the world in two powertrain configurations, called the CLA 250+ with EQ Technology and the CLA 350 4MATIC with EQ Technology. Both are technically similar, but they offer different capabilities.
 
The entry-level CLA 250+ relies on a rear-mounted electric motor that is good for 268 horsepower and 335 Nm of torque, a two-speed gearbox on the rear axle, and an 85 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that allows for a maximum range of 492 miles (792 km, as tested under WLTP).
 
The top of the range CLA 350 4MATIC with EQ Technology makes use of two electric motors, one on each axle, that are capable of producing a combined 349 horsepower and 515 Nm of torque. The same battery as on its sibling is used here as well, but this time the maximum range that can be reached is 489 miles (771 km).
 

Both CLA models throw onto the road energy recuperation under braking, courtesy of a new one-box braking system, which, when used, has a maximum output of 200 kW. In ideal conditions, meaning when a 320-kWh fast charger is employed, up to 202 miles (325 km) of range can be added in around ten minutes.
 
I said earlier the new CLA is the smartest of its kind that ever was, and that is owed to the use of a new operating system called… Mercedes Benz Operating System (MB.OS). Deployed for the first time on this model (more will get it as they are launched), it allows control over many things, including infotainment, automated driving, body & comfort, and driving & charging.
 
The system is paired with the fourth generation of the Mercedes-Benz User eXperience (MBUX), now in its seventh year on the market. The new version runs the first in-car infotainment system to use artificial intelligence systems developed by both Microsoft and Google, backed by ChatGPT-4o.
 
All the info is sent to the driver by means of up to three screens coming together to form something known as the Superscreen, powered by on chips and real-time graphics from the Unity Game Engine. An AI assistant that can recognize emotions and react accordingly is also on deck.
 
At the time of writing, the American market does not have access to the new version of the CLA (only the previous one, with internal combustion engines on deck, is listed on the Mercedes configurator), but that will change soon, when we’ll also learn how much these new cars will cost.