The Audi A1 will have a rolling cloth top in 2013, though further details are limited.

According to a report by German Auto Motor Und Sport, the company decided to go with a rolling roof instead of a convertible to save cost. The setup will be similar to what we’ve already seen in the Fiat 500c, though probably without the dropping rear window which promotes the convertible feel.

Of course, the A1 is still just another German treat that North America gets to ogle but not touch. Don’t expect the tiny bundle of fun to make its way to our shores until the second generation, which is a long way off.

Audi also speculated that the new A9 luxury sedan could be offered with a new V12 engine.

[Source: World Car Fans via Auto Motor Und Sport]

Audi has dropped a nice surprise, releasing details and photos of a limited edition A1 quattro set to go on sale beginning in the second half of 2012. Only 333 units of the hot hatch will be produced and of course, North America will never even get close to sniffing it.

Essentially an S1 in everything but its model name, the Audi A1 quattro is powered by a 2.0L turbocharged TFSI powerplant with 256-hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Even more impressive is that Audi estimates the A1 quattro will get around 27-28 mpg. Mated to the 2.0L is a six-speed transmission and Audi’s famous all-wheel-drive system.

On the outside, unique Glacier White-finished wheels are seen in an 18×8-inch sizing wrapped with 225/35 rubber. And for those wondering, the A1 quattro will only be available with a Glacier White exterior paint shade while the roof is finished in a contrasting high-gloss black. Accents in the headlights and wings are done in red, a clearly race-inspired look.

We’re absolutely in love with the aggressive styling of the A1 quattro in the front and the rear, while the interior is covered in luxurious black Silk Nappa leather. The gauge cluster features white needles, a red tachometer and the quattro logo while the steering wheel is wrapped in leather with contrasting red stitching.

Trust us, we’re as bummed out as you guys are after reading the press release that the A1 quattro won’t be making its way to American soil.

GALLERY: Audi A1 Quattro

A unique Audi A1 got shown off at the Tokyo Motor Show today, garnering not only the attention of the media but also that of the locals. At first glance the Samurai Blue Audi A1 just looks like a car that can’t make up its mind as to what color it wants to be, but to the Japanese it sports the look of their national soccer team.

The A1 was built by Audi to show respect for the Japanese national soccer team and is a one-off model that will be sold and a part of its profit will be donated to charity. The Japan’s national soccer team is nicknamed Blue Samurai, with blue and white as the colors of the men and women’s soccer jerseys. (If you recall, the Japanese women’s team recently won the World Soccer Cup in Germany).

For the A1 Samurai Blue, Audi accented the blue and white with the red from the Japanese flag. It also features 18-inch wheels sporting an exclusive polygonal design that have also been painted red. We took a peek inside the A1 and saw that the black interior got contrast blue stitching while other pieces such as the air vent nozzles, inlays, center console and floor mats all got colorful blue accents.

It appears that the 1.4L TFSI engine remains untouched with 122-hp. Audi did mention that they’re planning on a limited edition A1, with its design based on the Samurai Blue, to go on sale in 2012.

In addition to this one-off model, Audi also officially unveiled the new 5-door A1 Sportback model in Tokyo.

GALLERY: Audi A1 Samurai Blue

GALLERY: Audi A1 Sportback

Even though this generation’s Audi A1 won’t be making it to North America, Audi has admitted that they’re considering launching the next-generation to us Americans. Nonetheless we have another variation to maybe look forward to, a five-door Sportback version of the Audi A1.

Priced at a little under $23,000 based on today’s conversion rates, the A1 Sportback will initially be offered with four different engine options, three TFSI gasolines and one TDI diesel engine with horsepower ranging from 86-hp to 185-hp. Most of the powerplants are mated to Audi’s standard six-speed manual or automatic but some can be paired up with a seven-speed S tronic with dual clutch.

The 1.2L TFSI packs 86-hp while the 1.4L TFSI has 122-hp and the top-of-the-line 1.4L twin-charged TFSI sports 185-hp. The first diesel offering will be a 1.6L TDI with 105-hp, but will later be joined by a 2.0L TDI with 143-hp. The supercharged and turbocharged 1.4L can be paired with Audi’s seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox helping it hit 62-mph in just 7-seconds.

Despite looking similar to the three-door A1, the Sportback is actually 0.24-inch taller and wider, offering slightly more head room and shoulder room for its five passengers.

Ordering for the A1 Sportback in the UK will start at the end of this month with deliveries coming by next spring.

GALLERY: Audi A1 Sportback

Out at the annual Nardo Highspeed Test, many machines like 9FF’s Porsche 911 GT3 or G-Power’s BMW M3 came to show off their top speed. German VW/Audi tuner MTM was also on hand, with a shockingly fast car. No, it wasn’t an RS5 or some other brutish monter, but the cute and trendy Audi A1. Motivated by a 500-hp engine the little rocket hit an incredible top speed of 201-mph.

Available to consumers as the A1 Nardo Edition, the car also comes with an aesthetics package, spicing up the A1′s already good looks with a set of 18-inch MTM bimoto wheels, upgraded brakes and lowered suspension.

GALLERY: MTM Audi A1 Nardo Edition

Discuss this story at AudiA1Forum.com

Rotaries may seem like a thing of the past these days, especially with Mazda preparing to retire the RX-8. But the Wankel-powered sports car won’t be the last Mazda to get the odd powerplant, thanks in part to a recent breakthrough.

A recently big step forward for Mazda’s engineers is a newly developed laser ignition system that can remove spark plugs from the equation. This has made sealing the Wankel’s combustion chamber easier, resulting in better efficiency and, more importantly, lower hydrocarbon emissions.

This breakthrough could prove to be the catalyst Mazda needs to rejuvenate the RX-7 model, but it all comes down to finding the proper funding.

That influx of cash could come from a partnership with Audi. The two automakers are reportedly in talks and Audi’s A1 e-tron concept did use a 254cc Wankel range-extender underneath the trunk floor. The light weight, smooth and quiet rotary technology could prove the perfect pairing for a future production hybrid drivetrain for Audi.

[Source: Inside Line]

Each spring, a jury of 66 automotive journalists from around the globe get together to pick a winner for the World Car of the Year title. The journalists are asked to vote by secret ballot, selecting the winner from 10 cars that have made the final cut.

For the 2011 awards, those finalists have now been announced. They are:  Audi A1, Audi A8, BMW 5-Series, BMW X3, Jaguar XJ, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (shown above), Nissan LEAF, Porsche Cayenne and Volvo S60/V60.

And yes, the much hyped Chevrolet Volt didn’t make the cut this time around, perhaps next year when it becomes more widely available.

Now that the finalists for this year’s awards have been announced, the jurors will ‘re-evaluate’ each vehicle on merit, value, safety, emotional appeal, significance and environmental impact. Once the findings of these evaluations have been tabulated, the shortlist will be whittled down to three vehicles, which will be announced at the Geneva Auto Show next month. The actual World Car of Year winner, will be announced at the New York International Auto Show on April 21st; the final ballots being tabulated by international accounting firm KPMG.

The World Car Awards were first instigated in 2003 to reflect a more global automotive landscape and complement existing national and regional Car of the Year award programs.

Past WCOTY winners have generally been cars that have proved popular in many countries around the world. The first car to actually win the accolade, back in 2005, was the Audi A6, while past winners have included other top selling cars such as the BMW 3-Series; Mazda 2 and Volkswagen Golf.

We’ve seen some really clever stuff coming out of online video production these days, but Audi-tuner ABT Sportsline may have just taken the prize for innovative design and viral marketing.

For those that remember the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, the concept is similar – just in an interactive and virtual environment. Essentially ABT Sportsline did a series of YouTube videos with each one offering a decision that seamlessly links you to the next video. The result? You get to control good ‘ol Carolin Winter as she makes a decision on which personalized Audi A1 to purchase.

There are three results that ABT is showcasing through these videos, the Klecks, Aloha and High Voltage. Through a series of step-by-step decisions ranging from speaking to the receptionist or sneaking past her (cleverly using an ABT AS5 for discrete cover), to enjoying an espresso or venturing forward to the three modified Audi A1s from ABT Sportsline.

We thought it was a pretty clever way to market their modified Audi A1s to the masses, and if anything, it’s pretty entertaining to control the fate of a young female. Get your mind out of the gutter please.

Check out the video after the jump:

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Volkswagen is apparently engineering their small car PQ25 platform to accept all-wheel-drive. The adaptation would allow for a new range of sporty hot hatches, among them the Audi A1 and Volkswagen Polo R.

The all-wheel-drive modification would also allow for quasi SUV versions of the small hatch platform, such as a VW CrossPolo or even an Audi Q1. Audi decided to abandon the S1 moniker for the A1 1.4TFSI after realizing that the car would only be sold as a front-drive vehicle.

[Source: Autocar]

In the long line of hot hatchbacks we wont get comes another enticing product, the Audi A1 1.4TFSI. Based on the more accesible Volkswgaen Polo GTI, the A1 gets the same 1.4TFSI twincharged engine and DSG gearbox, in a much more upscale package.

An S-Line bodykit and bigger wheels help set it apart from lesser A1s, and the car’s estimated $31,000 puts it in the rareified world of more expensive sports cars, making it unlikely that we’ll ever see it on our shores. But boy, does it ever look good.

Gallery: Audi A1 1.4TFSI