Wild thing: Audi A1 clubsport quattro unveiled

Audi has created a 496-hp version of the A1 small car to celebrate the 30th anniversary of an Austrian festival for Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen fans.

Called the A1 clubsport quattro, the one-off show car gains a heavy dose of rally-inspired styling that is said to preview the appearance of a hot new all-wheel-drive S1 quattro model being developed by Audi as a rival to the likes of the Renault Clio Sport.

At the heart of the hatchback is a heavily modified version of Audi's turbocharged 2.5-liter, five-cylinder powerplant shoehorned transversely into the A1's compact engine bay. In standard guise, as seen in the TT RS and recently introduced to Europe in the RS3, the direct-injection unit delivers a sturdy 330 hp--or 148 hp more than the most powerful production version of the A1, the 182-hp turbocharged 1.4-liter, four-cylinder 1.4 TFSI.

But for the A1 clubsport quattro, the five-cylinder engine gains added boost pressure, a larger intercooler and a redesigned exhaust that sees output rise by 166 hp to a supercarlike 496 hp. Torque also grows by a substantial 229 lb-ft, or 47 percent, over the standard unit, peaking at 487 lb-ft on a band of revs between 2,500 rpm and 5,300 rpm.

Drive is delivered to all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a modified version of the TT RS's multiplate-clutch Haldex four-wheel-drive system, a setup that is earmarked to appear on the A1 quattro early next year.

Although Audi is quick to play down the relevance of the A1 clubsport quattro's engine to the rest of the A1 lineup, there's no denying its potency in a car of such compact dimensions. Factory claims put the sprint to 62 mph at just 3.7 seconds, making it faster up the strip than all of its existing production cars, save for the 560-hp, naturally aspirated, 5.2-liter, V10-powered R8 V10, which boasts an official time of 3.6 seconds.

Audi also says the extreme hatchback will hit 124 mph in 10.9 seconds and accelerate from 50 mph to 75 mph in fourth gear in just 2.4 seconds. The only disappointing thing about the A1 clubsport quattro's overall performance is its top speed, which is limited to 155 mph.

While details of the production-version S1 quattro are yet to be revealed, Ingolstadt insiders suggest it will be a significantly milder machine. Nothing's official yet, but rumors suggest it will run the same 210-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine found in a variety of Volkswagen Group offerings, including the GTI.

The Audi A1 clubsport quattro is distinguished by a comprehensively redesigned exterior and a matte white paint scheme that combine to provide it with a much more aggressive air than lesser A1 models. The overall look leans heavily on contemporary World Rally Championship cars, with a deep front bumper, fenders that are widened by 60 millimeters over those worn by the standard model, a clear-coated, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic roof, a large rear wing perched high on the tailgate and a fully functioning diffuser at the rear.

The need for added cooling also sees it receive hood- mounted ducts and two large air outlets within the trailing edge of the front fenders. Other features include a honeycomb grille insert, unique headlamp and tail lamp graphics, and smaller mirror housings than those found on the other A1 models.

Mirroring the move taken with the styling of the quattro concept wheeled out at last year's Paris motor show, Audi's design team has also provided the A1 clubsport quattro with elements that lend from the original quattro produced between 1985 and 1991, including new interpretations of its signature wheel-arch blisters and classic turbine-style alloy wheels.

The A1 clubsport quattro rides on a heavily modified version of the Volkswagen Group's PQ25 platform featuring adjustable suspension settings, 19-inch wheels shod with 255/30 profile tires and carbon-fiber-ceramic discs up front grabbed by purposeful-looking six-pot calipers.

Inside, the A1 clubsport quattro lives up to its name with a stripped-out cabin devoid of the standard A1's rear seat. In its place is an additional crossmember aimed at providing added stiffening and dedicated stowage bins for a pair of helmets. The hatchback also uses front carbon-fiber-backed seats from the R8 GT, four-point harnesses, a flat-bottom carbon-fiber steering wheel, unique instruments and simple pull straps in the place of the standard A1's door handles.

By Greg Kable