October 18, 2007 - Audi has officially set its sights on BMW's Mini Cooper. The company has released pics and details for the A1 concept car, days ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show. Dubbed the Audi Metroproject Quattro Concept, the two-door hatch strikes an aggressive pose, sporting an even more cavernous corporate grill than the company's current line-up of cars.

Powering the squat ride is a 150-horsepower 1.4-liter TFSI engine, which is matted to an S-tronic dual-clutch transmission. Although it's technically FWD, there's an additional 41hp electric motor on the rear axle, giving an extra punch of torque that'll likely help when launching the car. It also allows the car to travel emissions-free at city speeds, with the plug-in lithium-ion batteries capable of propelling the car to 60 mph. As another hybrid feature, the A1 also features regenerative braking and engine stop/start, which purportedly reduces fuel consumption by 15 percent. The downside to the hybrid powertrain, of course, is weight, tacking on an extra 150 pounds.


This ain't no cute British car, that's for sure.

Nevertheless, the A1 has some pep, as it goes from 0-60 in 7.8 seconds--not a Nurburgring champ by any means, but when you consider that the car makes over 47 mpg, it's respectable performance nonetheless. The car also shows handling promise, with magnetic shocks and 18" concept wheels wrapped in 225/35/18 rubber.

Arguably the most unique feature about the car is not the car itself, but what comes with it--an iPhone like mobile media device plugs into the car. The "Audi mobile device" features a touch-based interface that can be used as the more standard remote keys in luxury cars, allowing you to access car security options, open the doors, and even heat up the car before leaving the house.


iPhone-like keys for future Audi's?

But the functionality list goes on and on, with the device serving as an audio/video player, navigation system, image storage for pics captured in the A1's onboard camera, and a LoJack-like tracking device in case somebody boosts your car. It even accepts hand-drawn inputs for Latin and Japanese (and presumably English), although writing letters out on the relatively small LCD screen would seem cumbersome while driving.

Although the ambitious iPhone-like design may only stop at the concept phase for now, it's a safe bet that the A1 can become a production reality.