Audi is set to unveil this near-500bhp Audi A1 concept at the annual Wortherseetour VW Group event in Austria this June.
Worthersee is traditionally a venue where one of the VW brands takes the wraps off some sort of wacky concept, and this year it's Audi's turn with the 496bhp A1 clubsport quattro show car.
The mega-A1 uses a version of the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo motor from the TT RS and RS3 Sportback models, tuned to produce 496bhp and 487lb ft of torque. That's enough reckons Audi, to push the little car to 62mph from rest in 3.7secs and to 124mph in just 10.9secs.
The turbocharger, intercooler, induction tract and the exhaust line have been have all been 'massaged' and, as on the Audi A4 DTM racer, the tailpipe is located on the left of the car, just in front of the rear wheel.
A six-speed manual transmission and permanent all-wheel drive, both taken from the TT RS and 'enhanced', deliver the power to all four wheels. Top speed is limited to 155mph.
The concept A1 is fitted with 255/30 low-profile tyres on 19-inch alloy wheels with a unique 'turbine' design, Sitting behind the wheels are large, internally ventilated disc brakes. Up front, six-piston calipers work on perforated carbon fibre-ceramic discs, while the rear of the car 'makes do' with steel items.
The coilover suspension of the A1 clubsport quattro features adjustable compression and rebound damping.
Combined with the visual makeover that includes front wings, doors and rear side panels that have been widened by a total of 60 millimetres and plenty of carbon fibre gubbins, the overall effect looks likely to be pretty aggressive. Shame it's only a concept, really...
