I was born in the eighties.
I wasn't really aware of the rally races back then,
but even to me, ‘Audi S1’ sounds magical.
This car was legendary back then.
The ultimate rally car...
...in which famous drivers made the impossible possible.
On every stage the five cylinder S1 was invincible.
Later I realized how important it was for the history of motorsport,
the way it raced the stages took my breath away.
To me, ‘Audi S1’ is synonymous to ‘adrenaline’.
So it’s good to see this name survived.
However, not in the way you might expect...
This is the S1 that should excite new generations.
Instead of a bizarre looking coupe…
… it’s a faster version of the Audi A1, a small hatchback.
The 2.0 four-cylinder delivers 231 PS.
I can guarantee you one thing: this thing is really fast!
Audi says it can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds,
in the S1 Sportback, it takes 5.9 seconds.
The top speed is 250 km/h, very quick for such a small car.
There is something else that makes me very happy.
In contrast to all other S-models of Audi,
this car comes with a manual gearbox.
I really like this gearbox.
It’s not a very sporty gearbox.
But the manual makes it a lot more fun to drive than other S Audi's.
I can really play with this car, unlike for instance an S3.
The first gears are very short, for a sporty character.
5th and 6th gear are longer, for more comfort.
Overall this S1 offers more comfort than I expected.
The rear suspension of the S1 differs from the normal A1,
and the result of that are easy to notice.
It offers a good mixture of hard and soft components,
for a good ride in all conditions.
I have to say: this car likes to be driven fast.
Since it’s an Audi S-model, it offers four-wheel drive.
Basically a front-wheel drive car,
but when necessary power goes to the rear wheels.
If you want, you can even drift this car.
However, if you stop putting your foot down,
it feels like you would expect from an Audi S.
This means you get used to it very quickly.
‘Sensation inflation’ is a good description.
At first it feels very fast and special,
but after a short while, you’re no longer excited.
What’s left, is still a very nice car.
But spectacular…
It’s an Audi.
The Audi S1 follows the concept of the Audi A1 Quattro,
a four wheel drive special edition of which only 333 were made.
Of this S1, Audi wants to sell as many as possible.
I wonder if they will succeed,
as the base price of the S1 is 38000 euro.
With some options like these special seats, wheels and stickers,
it’s soon more expensive than 50000 euro.
That is quite a lot for such a small car,
but on the other hand, it doesn't really have competitors.
Mini will present a JCW version of their Cooper S soon,
but I think that will be a lot less comfortable than this Audi.
Today, this is one of the most accessible, serious hot hatches.
You may decide for yourself whether that’s a good thing, or not.
It climbs very fast in rpm, to almost 7.000.
'I'm already speeding.'
+ Very fast; Manual gearbox
- Expensive; You get used to it quickly