New Audi A1 to get Colored Roof Arches [with Video]

More or less, we know what the production Audi A1 that will have its online premiere in early February prior to its physical debut at the Geneva Salon in March, will look like. The Germans showed the car in near production guise through the 2007 Metroproject Quattro (3door) and more recently with the A1 Sportback concepts.

We've even seen the actual production model snapped alongside Justin Timberlake. But Audi's marketing team insists on releasing various tidbits about its sporty supermini.

In this latest video interview, the A1's exterior designer, Jürgen Löffler, reveals that Audi has kept the 3door concept model's contrasting roof arches and that customers will be able to order the roof arch in a variety of colors, regardless of the body color of the car.

He also talks about the A1's shoulder line that Audi names "tornado line", which wraps the car completely around beginning up front with the single-frame grille, extending over the front lights and the side to the tail lights and the rear hatch.

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VIDEO: 2011 Audi A1's R8-Style LED Headlights Explained

The guy you see pictured above is André Georgi, light designer at Audi, and the car shadowed behind him, Ingolstadt's answer to the BMW Group's MINI hatch, the all-new A1 that will be officially unveiled in February. And yes, Audi's latest video teaser on the A1 is all about the sporty hatchback's headlamps and in particular, the LED daytime running lights.

"On the A1, the front gets its character from a completely new form of LED daytime running lights. We have given our newcomer the sportiness of the R8 and the elegance of the A8," says Georgi. You can watch the film after the jump but you won't hear us complain if you decide to pass...

Video Interview with Audi Marketing Boss on 2011 A1 Mini

Just so you know, Audi will constantly be harassing us publishing information and teaser videos/pictures on its A1 mini until the online premiere of the car that's planned for early February. Following the release of a couple of clips and a teaser graffiti back in December, the Germans came out today with a video interview Audi marketing boss, Peter Schwarzenbauer, who talks about the 2011 A1 from a sale perspective.

Among other things, Schwarzenbauer says that the company is currently expecting to sell around 80,000 units of its MINI Cooper and Alfa Romeo MiTo competitor in the car's first full year. Watch the 'self-made' interview after the jump.

Audi Confirms Q5 Hybrid (2011) and A7 Sports Sedan (2010)

Audi has published new details on its future product plans that include the introduction of several new vehicles such as brand's first full hybrid model based on the Q5. The Ingolstadt automaker said that by 2015, the brand will have enlarged its vehicle portfolio from currently 34 to 42 models.

In particular, 2010 will see Audi launching a series of new cars like the A1 premium supermini, the A7 based on the Sportback Concept, the new A8 limo and the R8 Spyder. Though no specific details were released, the automaker said that it will unveil the Q5 Hybrid at the end of 2010, with sales beginning in early 2011.

The German company said that it plans to devote around 5.9 billion euros or about 80 percent of its total investment in fixed assets through 2012, to new product development, further optimization of conventional drivelines and the development of electric and hybrid models.

"With our planned investments in new products and mobility concepts, for example electric propulsion, we are creating a basis for our company's future growth," said Axel Strotbek, Member of the Board of Management for Finance and Organization at AUDI AG.

PS: Standard Q5 and Sportback Concept pictured

2011 Audi A1 Mini: First Photo of Production Model?

A commenter on Audi's official A1 Facebook page has posted this photo of Justin Timberlake walking in front of what appears to be the production version of the Audi A1 supermini.

And if you're wondering what's the connection between Timberlake and the German automaker's answer to BMW's MINI, Audi announced on Wednesday that it has struck a deal with the pop singer to play the leading role in an Audi A1 Internet campaign that will be launched in the spring of 2010.

"As a superstar he appeals to a young target audience that we're particularly intent on exciting about the compact and efficient A1, which is superlatively well suited for city traffic," said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Marketing and Sales

And now that we've done informing you about the promotional aspects of the A1, let us remind you that the new premium supermini from Audi will make its world debut at the 2010 Geneva Salon next March with European sales following shortly after.

There have been reports on the media claiming that the A1 will not make it to North America, but we haven't heard something official from Audi yet.

Source: Facebook , Via: Blogomotori (Kudos to our anonymous tipster / commenter)

2011 Audi A1 Mini: First Official Details and Video Teasers of Production Model

Audi has begun teasing its upcoming A1 premium supermini ahead of a planned world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March next year. For now, the Ingolstadt-based automaker has shared with us a teaser film showing a graffiti artist painting the A1 on a wall and a video interview with the car's designers, Dany Garand and Stefan Sielaff.

"Our goal with the A1 is a bold one: to repeat the success that we have enjoyed with the A3 in the compact segment," says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi. "With the A1 we're opening another door into the world of premium cars."

Audi previewed the A1 with the three-door Metroproject Quattro study in 2007 and more recently, with the A1 Sportback Concept that was shown in Paris last year.

Exact details are scarce, but the German automaker says that the A1 will "condense all of Audi's virtues into a car that is less than 4 meters long."

It is believed that the production model will remain very close to the two concept models in terms of styling while the premium mini will most likely share its hardware with the recently launched VW Polo.

Longer and wider than a Mini, Audi's premium supermini will be offered with a raft of four-cylinder diesel and gasoline engines with direct injection including the 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter TSI turbocharged petrol units.

According to previous reports, the A1 will initially be launched as a three-door hatch with a five-door Sportback model said to follow shortly after.

There has also been speculative talk about a possible convertible version as well as a MINI Cooper S challenging S1 model with a high-performance turbo engine, but nothing's official yet.

Over the next few weeks, Audi plans to release more details and digital material on its new entry-level model that will challenge both the MINI and the Alfa Romeo MiTo. The first full-blown pictures of the premium hatch are slated to go online in early February.

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2007 Audi Metroproject Quattro and 2008 Audi Sportback Concepts

Audi A1 Mini Production to Begin this October, First up the Three-Door Version

In a recent interview with Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir, Alfons Dintner, head of Audi's Brussels plant, confirmed that the factory will start series production of the new Audi A1 mini in October. Dinter said that the German automaker will close the plant in August for five weeks in order to prepare for production of the A1 which will begin to arrive at Audi's European showrooms in the first half of 2010.

According to Dinter, the A1 will initially be available as a three-door model with the five-door Sportback version following shortly after.

The Ingolstadt-based automaker previewed the A1 mini with the 2007 Metroproject Quattro (3d) study and more recently with the A1 Sportback Concept that was shown in Paris last year.

The production model will remain close to the two concepts, just don't expect to see details such as the frameless doors or the aggressively styled bumpers. In similar fashion, the concepts interior design will be toned down a notch or two .

Longer and wider than a Mini, Audi's premium supermini will be offered with a raft of 4-cylinder diesel and gasoline powertrains with direct injection including the VW Group's latest 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter TSI petrols. Audi is said to be also considering a soft-top cabriolet version while a hot S1 with close to 200HP should be considered a given.

Via: Le Soir