Audi announces A1 quattro
Audi A1 quattro
By Bob Hume, 21st December 2011
Audi has announced a limited production run of a quattro version of the its A1 and staked a claim to the most powerful and fastest accelerating car ever developed in the "subcompact" segment with its reported 256PS.
Limited to just 333 examples globally, the A1 quattro will be powered by a turbocharged and directly injected 2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, making the car apparently capable of a 0 to 62 time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 152mph.
Audi A1 quattro
Power will be transferred through six-speed manual transmission to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system, using an electronically controlled, hydraulic multi-plate clutch. During normal driving, the clutch will send most of the engine‘s power to the front wheels.
In much the same way that a viscous coupling system works, the clutch can transfer torque to the rear axle if traction is lost at the front.
The A1 quattro will only be available in left-hand drive and finished in Glacier White and will be available in mainland Europe in the latter half of next year. Audi says that "a final decision on whether or not Audi UK will import the car will be based in part on customer reaction".
