Audi planning MINI-fighter?
Rumors are still swirling that Audi is considering a new small car, the A1. What Car? speculates that the hypothetical A1 family would be positioned below the not very successful A2, perhaps using the next generation VW Polo platform. In order to keep costs down, the A1 is expected to eschew the A2's expensive aluminum construction and quattro all-wheel drive will likely not be an option.
Speculation spans a family of A1 models, with the Photoshopped roadster shown at right our personal favorite. The A1 could hit the market in 2010, which means we likely won't see auto show versions until 2009.
[Source: What Car?]
Related posts:
More details on the Audi A1
Another Audi A1
Audi's A1 Mini-killer a hoax
Audi to build a Mini-killer
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Juston 6:11PM (8/16/2006)
Audi needs a new smaller car. This is a great way to start. I hope this car gets on the market sooner.
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WillDaThrill 6:11PM (8/16/2006)
Hopefully enough they'll be smart enough to put power to the rear wheels. If not, it'll be a failure too because there will be other, (more likely) less expensive cars to choose from.
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kevin 6:59PM (8/16/2006)
its a mini lemans roadster! they should call it the R1. make it RWD w/DSG!
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Lee 6:59PM (8/16/2006)
The photo looks like... 350Z meets Saturn Sky
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Mal Fuller 7:23PM (8/16/2006)
".......with the Photoshopped roadster shown at right our personal favorite."
Shown at the right of what?
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DJ 8:18PM (8/16/2006)
This is probably the car they were referring to as the roadster being to the right of:
http://www.germancarblog.com/2006/02/audi-a1-bringing-mini-killer.html
Of course, this would be "Mini-Me's" version....How appropriate, the Mini killer is Mini-Me.......
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bozo 8:19PM (8/16/2006)
maybe they've been reading too much leftlanenews... those guys always say "pictured right"
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Riker 11:51AM (8/17/2006)
Hmm...
Front end reminds me of S2000. Not a bad thing, I suppose.
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BartMack 1:04PM (8/17/2006)
The MINI is not an economy car, and it's not really that small either.... I hope the folks at Audi realize that if they want a piece of the market, because most people on the street don't realize it at all. Americans typically lumber around in 12 passenger busses and think small=economy-cheap.
If people really want cheap/economy they buy Kia Rios and Toyota Yaris-es, et al. The MINI is a premium vehicle, and a kick to drive. A Cooper S can out-slalom nearly anything in the world, and it's no slug in acceleration either. A 15% supercharger reduction pulley and CAI will give you a grin like the Joker ;-). People personalize them like crazy, and not just engine/suspension tweaks. IMO The TT is probably a closer competitor to the MINI, and had the last gen performed better it would've lured more MINI buyers away.
When I see people trade in their MINIs, they either go bigger because of a growing family, or they go performance [Honda S2000/Mazda Miata/BMW Z4/EVO etc.]
Most MINI owners are the type who wouldn't be caught dead in a Camry or some other banal 4-wheeled appliance, they want fun-to-drive.
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Neil 3:51AM (8/18/2006)
That car isn't photoshopped, and it's a VW.
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Ligor Manushi 10:22AM (8/30/2006)
this is what the TT should have been. very nice lines
this is just un upgraded VW from back a few month ago (Eos or something)
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