2011 Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro

Exterior

To make it stand out from the rest of the Worthesee crowd, Audi dressed up the A1 Clubsport Quattro in a Glacier White matte paint finish, the kind that completely draws attention to itself the moment you see it. The white paint finish is a sharp contrast to the high-gloss black roof that Audi made out of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). Also noticeable is the more aggressive detail of the car, highlighted by the large, split air intakes with carbon struts that have been integrated into the equally modern-looking front skirt. The radiator grill comes as a single-frame black honeycomb design with the headlights distinguished by matted clasps and a red "wing".

Audi also widened the car’s front fenders, doors, and rear side panels by a total of 60 millimeters to give it a more aggressive look, forming horizontal "blister" edges similar to the ones found in the Ur-Quattro. The car’s air outlets are also integrated into the rear ends of the fenders with the newly-designed trim strips on sills made of exposed CFRP.

Over at the rear, there’s a roof spoiler that comes with a double wing, providing enough downforce to keep the car the car as steady as can be while darkly toned rear lights and a large closed diffuser comprise the entire profile of the A1 Clubsport Quattro’s rear. Last, but not least, is the set of striking 19" allow wheels wrapped in 255/30/R19 low-profile tires.

Interior

As for the interior, the A1 Clubsport Quattro doesn’t come with a rear bench. Taking its place is a body-stiffening crossbar and enough storage space to make room for racing helmets. The interior also comes with large doses of exposed, matte-finished CFRP, including in areas like the tubes of the air vents, the "stern of the yacht" in the lower section of the center console, and the walls at the back of the car. This particular CFRP material is also used on the car’s leather-covered, open-spoked sport steering wheel. Meanwhile, the center console and the seats of the A1 Clubsport Quattro have been dressed up in fine leather upholstery with tone-on-tone stitching. Aluminum was used on the selector level, while stainless steel was used on the caps of the pedals and the surface of the footrest. Rounding out the details are red loops that replaced the door handles, the glove box, and the compartment covers.

Performance

The A1 Clubsport Quattro is configured as a Quattro-permanent all-wheel drive and is powered by a 2.5-liter, five-cylinder TFSI engine with a total output of 503 horsepower and 486.79 lb/ft of torque. This setup is then mated to a six-speed manual transmission. This translates to performance numbers that include a 0-62 mph time of just 3.7 seconds, a 0-124 mph time of 10.9 seconds, and an electronically limited top speed of 155.34 mph.

Pricing

Unfortunately for all of us, the A1 Clubsport Quattro is merely a show car and no plans are underway to make it a production car. But even if we can only love this car through the benefit of photos and videos, we can still scoop up a ’regular’ Audi A1 anywhere from £13,145 ($21,693) to £18,280 $30,152).

Competition

We’d love to see the A1 Clubsport Quattro line against something a high-powered BMW 1-Series or even a MINI Cooper. Unfortunately, the juiced up RS1 is nothing but a show car so any hope of seeing it in action against the BMW 1-Series M Coupe is a far cry from reality. Even if they do square off, the latter’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 340 horsepower is still no match for the A1 Clubsport Quattro’s 500 ponies.

 Can you say power overload?
 Design looks amazing
 Interior has been dressed to the nines

 It’s a one-off showcar
 No production plans
 If it did hit the market - a big IF - it won’t come cheap.