Top 10 ‘Forbidden Fruits’ of the 2014 Paris Motor Show

Top 10 ‘Forbidden Fruits’ of the 2014 Paris Motor Show

3. Audi S1

The second Audi on this list, the S1 is a completely different animal than RS 6 Avant. Although it’s turbocharged and all-wheel drive, the S1 is a sub-compact three-door hatchback similar in size to the Mazda2. Audi-S1-02.JPGBut whereas the little Mazda uses a 100 HP 1.5-liter engine, the S1 is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumping out an underrated 228 HP and 273 lb-ft of torque. The all-wheel drive pocket rocket can hit 62 MPH form a standstill in 5.8 seconds.

Power is sent to the Quattro system through a six-speed manual transmission, keeping the baby Audi sport monster not just fast, but also fun to drive. The only downside to shoving an all-wheel drive system and turbocharged engine into a small chassis is a hefty weight. But, at 2,899 lbs. the S1 still has a respectable power-to-weight ratio.