Audi’s A1 hatchback sold overseas has just spawned a 231-horsepower S1, whose market launch later this year will coincide with the arrival of a facelifted A1 range. However, further down the track the A1 range may be expanded to include a proper RS 1 built by Audi’s quattro performance division.

Talk of an A1-based RS 1 dates back all the way to 2010, the year the A1 first hit the scene, but four years on we will don’t have such a car. Audi did launch a 256-horsepower A1 quattro (pictured above) back in 2011, but this was a limited edition model built in a run of just 333 cars.

Now, there are hints that a proper RS 1 is in the works, thanks to a comment made by the S1’s designer Frank Gruner. When asked by Motoring if he was now working on the design for an RS 1, Gruner is reported to have said, “Wait and see.”

We know the S1’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four has much more potential. The engine is the Volkswagen Group’s EA888, which in the upcoming VW Golf R and Audi S3 models is tuned to deliver approximately 300 horsepower. Audi has also shown a version of the engine delivering as much as 420 horsepower!

Sadly, even if an RS 1 is launched, there’s zero chance it will be offered in the U.S. Of course, there’s always hope for the next generation of the car.

The good news is that a new Audi RS 3 is also in the works, and is a likely candidate for the U.S. market. It is expected to feature an updated version of the turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine used in the previous RS 3 and TT RS models, which should give it enough firepower to compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG and rumored BMW M2.

_______________________________________

Follow Motor Authority on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.