Spy Shots : Audi A1 New S1 Supermini

Spy photographers spotted this machine out on public streets for testing, and the presence of a set of quad exhaust out back leads us to believe this could be the rumored S1 model. It's unclear whether this machine will slot under the limited-edition 256-horsepower A1 Quattro or be sold as a less extreme version of the hottest of Audi hatches when that car's production slots fill up. Photographers report this is a gasoline-powered model, which means the company's 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine is likely kicking behind the headlights.

If that's true, we can expect between 220 and 250 horsepower shuttled to all four wheels via the German automaker's Quattro all-wheel drive system. If you were wondering why Audi didn't use the S1 name for the A1 Quattro, you may very well be looking at the reason.

These spy shots show that Audi is working on a new pocket rocket variant of the A1 super mini.The heavily disguised wheels could be similar to the A1 Quattro's center-locking 18-inch wheels that mimic the original 80s-era Quattro.