Audi S1 quattro Revealed, Reaches 100 KM/H in 5.8 Seconds

This is in our eyes a car of quite a few firsts: the first S version of a supermini, the first time quattro has been fitted to a supermini, not to mention the yellowest car this side of Bumblebee. Audi engineers really had their work cut out!

At the core of the project is a 2.0 TFSI engine that's been tuned to produce exactly 231 PS and 370 Nm of torque (273 lb-ft). That's enough to take the S1 from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds, while the S1 Sportsback takes 5.9 seconds.

The quattro all-wheel drive is permanent and uses a hydraulic multi-plate clutch located on the rear axle. The car also uses the ESC, which has two-stage deactivation, to finely brake the inner wheels during cornering.

Audi has also reworked the suspension to make this a car worthy of the S badge. At the front, modified pivot bearings provide better steering response, while the simple compound link rear setups is replaced by a four-link. Variable shock absorbers are also standard on the car. Bigger brakes are fitted to the car, as are 17-inch alloys with 215/40. We think that's way to small and you should consider the optional 18-inch wheels with wider 225/35 R18.

“The Audi S1 offers all the virtues of a sports car, great performance, direct handling and permanent quattro drive that puts the power to the road in a superior way,” says Prof. Dr. Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development, adding: “The quattro drive has a large following of fans, which is sure to become even larger thanks to the offering in this segment.”