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Audi S1 to Use Front-Wheel-Drive

While tuners are presenting their versions of the Audi A1, the German premium carmaker is working on the top version of the car, the Audi S1, which will make its debut at next year’s Geneva Auto Show.

The German hot hatch will share its engine (and platform) with the Volkswagen Polo GTI, SEAT Ibiza Cupra and Skoda Fabia vRS.

However, according to autoexpress the 1.4 liter TSI powerplant will receive a power and torque upgrade. While the turbocharged and supercharged engine now offers 178 hp, in the S1 it will come with a power figure close to 200 hp, potentially placing the vehicle at the top of its segment, with a 0 to 62 mph sprint time of less than seven seconds and a top speed of more than 140 mph.

The unit will be mated to a seven-speed DSG double-clutch gearbox that will give the driver the option to change gears using a set of steering-wheel mounted paddles.

The vehicle will be a special one in the German automotive producer’s performance range - it will be the only Audi S model to come with front wheel drive, as the aforementioned source reports.

The company has decided to ditch the quattro four-wheel-drive system and use an electronic system to control the understeer during cornering. This will brake the inside wheel when the vehicle begins to understeer.

In addition to that, the S1 will use a performance suspension that will bring it 15 mm closer to the road and will enhance its handling.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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