CompleteCar

Hottest Audi A1 yet

MTM has revealed its ready-to-buy A1 Nardo, boasting 500hp.

The MTM A1 Nardo gives a small clue to its potential with the mention of the famous Italian test track in its name. This is the place where car makers go to record massive top speeds - a 12.5-kilometre circular track - and it's where the MTM A1 has just hit 320km/h.

Helping the MTM A1 to its incredible top speed is a tuned 500hp version of the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine from the Audi TT RS. MTM has cunningly squeezed this engine, complete with quattro four-wheel drive transmission and six-speed manual gearbox, under the skin of the A1.

With 572Nm of shove to play with on top of the 500hp, the MTM A1 Nardo records 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds. That's not as quick as Audi's own A1 Clubsport Concept, though, which has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.7 seconds from its 495hp TT RS-derived engine.

However, the A1 Clubsport is a one-off concept whereas MTM will happily build you an A1 Nardo. No prices as yet, but the A1 Nardo looks remarkably standard other than the larger alloy wheels and lowered ride height.

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Published on July 26, 2011