Mercedes-Benz is mulling the launch of an AMG-tuned variant of the B-Class MPV. Â If built, it will be the first performance-oriented B-Class in the car's seven-year long history.
Tentatively dubbed B45 AMG, the car will likely use the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is slated to power the upcoming A45 AMG.  It will send 350 horsepower and 331 lb-ft. of torque to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and propel the people mover from zero to 62 mph in a brisk 4.5 seconds.
Visually, the B45Â AMG will undergo the same modifications that will be found on the A45 AMG, including a body kit all around, big alloy wheels and a lowered ride height. Â Beefier brakes on all four corners will also be part of the package to keep the extra power in check.
Transplanting the 350-horsepower four-banger into the B-Class' engine bay is technically possible but what remains to be seen is whether or not there is enough demand to warrant building the car.  Mercedes-Benz briefly offered the R63 AMG so it is no stranger to hot-rodded people movers.
"If the marketing guys tell me we have the numbers then it's not a big deal," said Tobias Moers, head of development for AMG, in an interview with England's Auto Express. "If there's a market for it, there's a good chance we'll have it."
If the rumor proves true, the B45 AMGÂ might debut as a thinly-veiled concept car at the Geneva Motor Show next March.
