Audi S1 nearly ready to rocket euros out of your pocket

Wed, 27 Nov 2013

Audi was out testing its upcoming S1 on the streets of Germany when our trusty spy photographers snapped the new, all-wheel-drive hot hatch that's set to succeed the limited-edition A1 Quattro.

Unlike the A1 Quattro, the S1 should sport a much less aggressive look overall. As shown in the spy shots, its wheel wells lack the meaty flairs of its predecessor while its rear wing is much more subdued. The wheels are more in line with what we expect from Audi's S models and its higher ride height is more conducive to common things like steep driveways and speed bumps that the 333-unit A1 Quattro might not encounter.

According to our spies, the S1 should hit the European market with anywhere from 220 to 250 horsepower, making it considerably more potent than competitors like the Ford Fiesta ST or Polo GTI from its parent company, Volkswagen (although it'll likely arrive at a considerably higher price than either of those pocket rockets). On the high end, that's roughly equal to the 252 ponies generated by the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four in the A1 Quattro

Differences from the standard A1, meanwhile, include new LED driving lights (because Audi), while the psychedelic camo obscures a set of tweaked taillights. Like the standard A1, we shouldn't expect to see either the three-door S1 or the five-door S1 Sportback in the US market.

Hop up top for our full gallery of spy photos of new Audi S1.

By Brandon Turkus