AUDI will soon be releasing a special version of its A1 mini car that flaunts the hallowed quattro badge. Called the A1 quattro, the car is limited to only 333 pieces, and is billed by Audi as the new leader in its segment.

The carmaker’s confidence in its latest model is rightly based on the A1 quattro’s 2.0-liter, TFSI turbo-charged with gasoline direct injection, four-pot engine that spins out 256 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 350 Newton-meters of torque between 2,500rpm and 4,500rpm—a lot for a car of such diminutive dimensions. As such, Audi ensured all that grunt is translated to effective forward motion by fitting the special A1 with the corporate all-wheel drive system—quattro, in Audi-speak. A six-speed transmission links the power plant to the drivetrain.

The result is a 0kph-to-100kph time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 245kph, and all while returning an average of less than 8.5 liters of fuel consumed for every 100 kilometers traveled, according to Audi’s figures.

Audi equipped the A1 quattro with white-finished, 18-inch cast alloys that resemble a turbine and are wrapped with 225/35 tires. Internally vented brake discs with black calipers grip the rolling stock. The car’s stability program includes a sport mode and can be switched off.

To underscore the car’s go-fast stuff, Audi painted the A1 quattro in an exclusive Glacier White metallic with its roof finished in high-gloss black. Quattro badges all around identify exactly what car it is.

There’s no mistaking this A1’s cabin for anything but a special Audi’s, with its red tachometer marked by a white needle; leather-wrapped, flat-bottom steering wheel with red stitching and stamped with the car’s serial number; aluminum shift lever knob; sundry metallic trim; and, of course, strategically placed quattro logos.

Audi said the A1 quattro will be available in mid-2012, upon which time mini cars will get redefined.
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