Rendered: 2011 Audi S1

By Viknesh Vijayenthiran

1 7,296 views Dec 4, 2009

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2011 Audi S1 rendering

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Next year will see the launch of a new compact hatch in the form of the Audi A1, which is expected to arrive on the market as a 2011 model.

The car won’t be an affordable city car in the same vein as the Toyota iQ and the production version of the Volkswagen up! concept, but rather a premium compact hatch designed to rival cars like the Mini Cooper. And just like the aforementioned Mini, which has a high-performance Cooper S model, the Audi A1 will have its own sporty S1 variant, as confirmed by the automaker's design director Stefan Sielaff.

The S1 will be the flagship of the A1 range and will come packing 200 horsepower and quattro all-wheel drive as standard. Power will come from a supercharged and turbocharged 1.4-liter TFSI engine, and torque will be rated at around 221 pound-feet. Complete with a 7-speed S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox, the new S1 should sprint from 0-60 mph in less than six seconds and reach an electronically controlled top speed of 155 mph.

Other key attributes of the S1 will be a stiffened suspension set-up with magnetic dampers, a 40:60 front-to-rear torque split, and programmable gearbox with different drive options for either comfort or sport.

Visual differences to the standard A1 on which it will be based will be a sporty bodykit with flared wheel arches, 19-inch alloy wheels, a roof-mounted spoiler, and chrome highlights including the side-mirros. Inside, the car should feature a flat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminum pedals, and sporty bucket seats. Expect the S1 to arrive several months after the launch of the regular A1 hatch late next year.