Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro (2011): a 496bhp mini!

This is the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro concept, a 496bhp racing concept built for the 2011 Worthersee Tour.

Each year European VW fans gather on the shores of Lake Worthersee in Austria to celebrate their favourite brand, with an emphasis on the Golf GTI. VW Group has usually provided a suitably insane tuned Golf concept for the occasion, and on the GTI's 35th anniversary that would have been the expected option. But Audi has crashed the party with its premium 'mini instead.

Audi have taken the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine from the TT RS and RS3, and pushed power from 335bhp to the headline figure. Torque takes a similar leap, from 332lb ft to a hearty 487lb ft. That's almost as much power and significantly more torque than the Audi R8 V10 manages, thanks to substantially upgraded turbocharger, intercooler, intake and exhaust systems. The custom exhaust has also been re-routed to exit ahead of the left rear wheel arch, inspired by the Audi A4 DTM racer.  The TT RS donates its six-speed manual transmission and four wheel drive to keep the A1 travelling in a straight line, and hopefully around corners.

Audi claims a 3.7 second 0-62mph, and top speed of 155mph for the fun-size Quattro.

You can't help noticing the A1 Clubsport Quattro, which not only looks an order of magnitude more angry than the grumpy standard car, but has also caught an eye infection, with red-accented LED headllight arrays. Blister arches give the A1 Clubsport an extra 60mm of width, and are filled with 255/30 tyres on 19-inch wheels. Inside, it's a stripped-out two-seater, with a hefty cross-brace to hold the four-point racing harnesses, storage for two racing helmets and a job-lot of raw carbonfibre trim. There's even the annoying red fabric door-pulls that Porsche delights in fitting to its lightweight editions.

The A1 Clubsport Quattro is strictly for Worthensee at this time, so don't expect to see Audi Sport liveried-A1s thundering down rally stages or around circuits anytime soon. However there will be a range of styling and performance parts being made available for A1 owners to make their mean-looking little mini even meaner.

By Mark Hamilton