Audi
A1 clubsport quattro concept
At the 2011 Wortherseetour event in Austria, the holy grail of car
shows for Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda fans, Audi unveiled a highly modified
A1 to show off what their entry level model is capable of - if you
happen to have some of the world's best automotive engineers and designers
lounging around in your garage.
The Audi A1 clubsport quattro (yes, no capitals for "clubsport"
or "quattro") isn't just a standard A1 with a fancy bodykit
either. It's been fitted with the same 2.5 litre, 5-cylinder, turbocharged
engine normally reserved for the Audi TT RS and RS3 Sportback. However
in the A1 clubsport quattro concept the engine's potency has been
increased dramatically to 503 horsepower and 487 lb-ft (660 Nm) of
torque.
The engineers managed to squeeze the extra grunt out of the engine
due to a redesigned turbocharger, intercooler, intake system and exhaust.
As on the Audi's A4 DTM race car, the exhaust now exits on the just
ahead of the left-side rear wheel.
The Audi A1 clubsport quattro's transmission is a six-speed manual,
and that's (obviously) hooked up to a quattro permanent all-wheel
drive system. Both come courtesy of the TT RS.
As you'd expect, the performance figures for the A1 clubsport quattro
are on a par with some of the most expensive exotica from around the
world. It takes just 3.7 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h). To get
to 124 mph takes a mere 10.9 seconds. And while the top speed is electronically
capped at 155mph, removal of those pesky wires would surely result
in a considerably higher terminal velocity.
The exterior styling of the A1 clubsport quattro is defined by the
World Rally Car look. The 19-inch wheels have the same multi-spoke
turbine design of many rally cars from the past and present. While
the gaping front grille looks like its built for purpose as much as
styling. At the rear the prominent rear wing should keep the back
end firmly planted, especially when it's coupled with the air-flow
management of the rear diffuser.
The car has also been widened by up to 60mm (2.36 inches). The front
and rear wheel arches, as well as the door panels have all been subjected
to serious work in order to bring them out far enough to cover the
massive wheels.
Designed as a road vehicle for the race track, the Audi A1 clubsport
quattro concept has no rear seat. Instead there is a large crossmember
designed to stiffen up the chassis. Behind each front seat is a dedicated
area for holding and securing helmets. Audi have gone all-out with
the interior, and to make it even more focused for track use, they've
decided to throw away all the entertainment gadgets. In their place
are three additional gauges; for oil pressure, boost pressure and
voltage. The bucket seats are the same as those found in the R8 GT,
and their lightweight construction comes courtesy of lots and lots
of carbon fiber.
Comments
Sarah:
Despite of the hairdresser looks, I liked the TT edition and
the RS4 Spider looked bit blander for me every time I look t
it though.
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