Spotted: 2019 Audi S1 Quattro In Thailand

Rewind a decade ago and we were pretty much right smack in hot hatch kingdom. The R56 MINI was at the tail end of its lifespan, but not before passing on the baton to its successor in style with the JCW GP - a 2000-unit-only tracked focused tool that only had space for one other passenger seated adjacent. The early 2010s also saw Renault Sport riding the highs of hot hatch stardom - the Renault Sport Megane 250 Cup capable of pulling physics-defying Gs for a FF layout was enhanced further with the 265 Trophy and subsequently with the R.S. 265 in 2012 in a minor mid life nip and tuck.

Purists could even get their hands on BMW’s N55 inline-6-powered M135i, a ballistic machine that had to be driven with extreme mindfulness if you do not want its tail to snap. We were also able to enjoy the fruits of VW engineers’ labour - the Mk7 Golf GTI behaved like a knife sharpened repeatedly by a honing steel, which made the Mk6 forgettable at best, even more so when it tried to honour the Mk5’s broad performance appeal - but to no avail. Ah, we also had the very white, limited-run Audi A1 Quattro introduced slightly before the Mk7 GTI - it looked concept car-like and we’ll probably never see it in the flesh with just 333 examples built.

Which brings us to investigate hot hatches that were not placed under the spotlight. The Audi S1 arrived in 2014 with minimal fanfare, especially so when the aforementioned rivals (and supposedly A1 Quattro predecessor) had their own cult following. With a 2-litre turbocharged motor plucked from the Golf R, you are assured of sufficient mid range punch. And you’ll gather pace much faster than you’d expect, with all-wheel drive confidence playing a massive role even on a wet, windy B road.

But is there fun to be had from a brand that places luxury in the foreground? We’ve yet to have a go in one, but we are liking the recipe of a 6-speed manual paired with a short wheelbase. It might not encourage lift-off oversteers like a GTI, but it will psych you up to push it harder in the right power band like a proper rally-bred machine. This could be a German equivalent to the GR Yaris…

The ad indicates a Sportback variant for sale, but if we are not wrong only 5-door S1s are given this label. That might not be a bad thing after all - the 3-door S1 sprints to 100km/h in 5.8 seconds, 0.1 quicker than the Sportback. That’s what two less doors and 100kg of weight savings can do.

We found it hard to believe that it is brand new - a 2019 example, kept under wraps during waves of lockdowns could only do it big favours. *This could be one of the last units made given that production ran from 2014 to 2018. In Misano Red hue this looks primed to tackle the impending storm at time of writing. The price is not stated, but according to 25G this is the only unit in Thailand. Could it go for way more than GR Yaris money? Judging by the way good condition JDM-spec cars of the previous era are flying off the shelves for ridiculous money and how the S1 Quattro could bridge the gap between raw engagement and modernity, we’d be silly to confront its devout appeal…