Audi unleashes steroidal A1 clubsport quattro

Audi wheeled out no less than seven tarted-up versions of its A1 baby car at last year's annual Wörtherseetour meet in Austria, but this year it's cranking up the intensity by unleashing a fire-breathing 500-horsepower A1 clubsport quattro concept at the expo, which is aimed at Audi, Seat, Skoda and VW fans.

The monstrous hatchback is propelled by a heavily uprated version of the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine used by the RS 3, but where the latter places 250kW and 450Nm at the disposal of the driver, the A1 clubsport Quattro churns out 370kW and 660Nm.

These outputs are sufficient to deliver a 0-100km/h sprint of 3.7sec, while the 0-200km/h dash is knocked off in 10.9sec – in other words, virtually on par with the latest Porsche 911 Turbo. Just as impressive, the 80-120km/h overtaking surge can be dispatched in fourth gear in just 2.4 seconds.

According to Audi, the concept's massive grunt was yielded via a bespoke turbocharger, intercooler, induction tract and exhaust system. As per Audi's A4 racer in the German DTM championship, the exhaust exits just in front of the left rear wheel.

The six-speed manual transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive system are sourced from the TT RS, but beefed up to cope with the concept's massive oomph. Keeping it in contact with terra firma is a set of 255/30 low-profile rubber, wrapped around 19-inch turbine-design alloys.

Stopping power for the 1390kg hatchback is provided by six-piston carbon-ceramic discs at the front and enlarged steel discs at the rear, while its coilover suspension features adjustable compression and rebound damping.

There's no mistaking the Glacier White clubsport quattro concept for a lesser A1, as its body add-ons include a tarmac-scraping front spoiler with massive intakes, and sitting above this is an oversize single-frame radiator grille with a black honeycomb design.

The headlights feature matted clasps with a red "wing", while heat from the engine compartment is dissipated via two large air outlets in the bonnet.
 
As per Audi's 1980s Ur-quattro rally car, the front wings, doors and rear side panels of the clubsport quattro have been widened by 60mm, and they form horizontal "blister" edges.

Air outlets are integrated into the rear ends of the wings, and the newly designed trim strips on the sills are made of exposed CFRP (carbonfibre-reinforced plastic).

Out back sits a massive roof spoiler with a double wing for maximum downforce, and further visual differentiation from the garden-variety A1 comes via darkly tinted taillights and a purposeful looking diffuser.

Interior tweaks include lightweight bucket seats borrowed from the Audi R8 GT, red four-point belts, lashings of matte-finished CFRP and additional gauges for oil pressure, boost pressure and voltage.

The concept also scores an aluminium gearlever, metal pedals and red loops in place of handles on the doors, glove box and storage compartment lids.

Other weight-saving measures include the absence of a rear seat, given that the A1 clubsport Quattro was conceived as "a road vehicle for the race track". In place of the rear seat is storage for racing helmets and a large crossbar to provide additional body stiffness.

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