The Audi S1 will arrive in 2011 - with 260bhp and quattro
It looks as if Audi are going to produce an S1 after all, with quattro and 270bhp. But not until 2011.
Sometimes it tough to keep up with the ever expanding Audi range. But we try. We thought that the hot A1 – the Audi S1 – was scheduled to arrive at Paris. Blimey, even Audi put it on their list. But we were wrong. Or Audi was wrong. Or both
Instead of the S1 we got the Audi 1.4 TFSI making an appearance. Not that there’s anything wrong with sticking the oily bits from the Polo GTI in to the very able A1. In fact – price apart – it seems a good idea. It’s just we were hoping for rather more.
We were hoping for an Audi S1 with something up around 250bhp and a quattro AWD setup. The sort of thing we get from all the other ‘S’ Audis. So instead of the A1 1.4 TFSI being thought of as a cracking little hot A1, it was a let down; an anti-climax.
Why we assumed that Audi had simply dropped the S1 tag from the hot A1 we don’t really know. Perhaps the circumstances, Audi’s obfuscation and our wish to see a mad A1 conspired to make us jump to conclusions. But we’re hearing that those conclusions were wrong.
Yes, the A1 1.4 TFSI will be as quick as the Audi A1 gets. But next year Audi will treat us to a full-fat Audi S1 with quattro and 270bhp by using the 2.0TFSI from the Golf R. Which sounds much more like the recipe we were hoping for.
So, instead of moaning about the 1.4 TFSI being a let-down, we can instead smile at what a fun little car it will be.
And look forward to the real deal Audi S1 in 2011.
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