As promised here is the second part of our video special about the Audi A1. If you enjoyed the first part we are sure you are going to love this one because we saved the best videos for last.

Audi A1 The Key is Individuality

Audi A1 Automotive Plant Teaser

Audi A1 Online Reveal

Audi A1 Test Drive with FC Bayer Munich Stars

Audi A1 The Countdown has Begun

We hope you enjoyed our Audi A1 Video Special and don’t forget that the official worldwide launch of the “Next Big Audi” will be during the Geneva Auto Show that begins on the 4th of March 2010 and we’ll be there to bring you exclusive details.

With 14 days to the official worldwide launch of the “next Big Audi” during the Geneva Auto Show (4th to 14th of March 2010). We prepared a two parts video special with 10 videos about the Audi A1. These videos have been released by Audi over the past couple of month as part of one the strongest vehicle launch campaigns ever seen made by Audi.

Audi A1: The Future Taking Shape

Audi A1: We Light UP the Dark

Audi A1: Designing the Roof Line and Roof

Audi A1: Quality Knows no Compromise

The Audi A1 Shows its Colours

This is it for the first part of our Audi A1 Video Special. Make sure you don’t miss the second part of this superb video special of the “next Big Audi” by checking our blog tomorrow.

It is now official, Audi has confirmed the Worldwide debut of Audi A1 for the Geneva Auto Show (4th to 14th March). The A1 will also mark the debut of Audi in the compact segment. Combining compact car efficiency with premium sector quality, performance and technology the Audi A1 has already been labelled as the sportiest automobile in the small compact class.

With a broad portfolio of top notch technology only seen on high-end Audis, a design full of character, its infotainment system that sets new standards in the class, all of Audi’s highly efficient fuel saving technologies and its agile chassis it is easy to standard why the Auto industry already labelled the A1 the sportiest in its segment.

Well they say a picture is worth more than thousand words so we prepared an exclusive picture special for you to enjoy every detail of the next “big Audi”.

Hope you enjoyed it, please share your thoughts on our comments section and don’t miss tomorrow’s post when we will bring a video special of the Audi A1.

Recently, the talk of the town within Audi communities has been the new Audi A1 and we’ve been discussing how it’s broken several rules of the auto motive game by entering the compact class and an outwardly premium vehicle and we touched on the design elements that make it unique and progressive.

Here at Audi Nationwide, we’ve been thinking backwards, and looking for features of the Audi A1 that are not exclusive to the Audi A1 but, in actual fact, personify all Audi models – as not to detract from the underlying excellence that characterizes an Audi vehicle.

Whether the untraditionally non-premium compact class, to the upper echelons of motorsport prestige (that means you, Audi R8) – one thing remains the same with all models: a simple commitment to delivering a premium product.

But what makes a premium product nowadays? The word ‘premium’ gets thrown about so often that its rapidly losing its meaning. The notion of premium is simply being lost to wishful thinkers, of whom, so desperately want you to think of them as being premium. But ultimately disappoints when you discover that underneath the fancy packaging and brand essences, lies the clank of “cost effective” materials.

No – with Audi, the sense of class is not an empty promise. As any Audi enthusiast will profess; owning an Audi is more than just aesthetics – sure, the car is made to look contemporary and stylish, but what really makes every Audi full of character, is its interiors. From the selection of materials used, the way the panels are have curvaceous, even gaps and softly backed with foam. The way all buttons and controls move with crisp precision. Every touch point of an Audi vehicle is designed with aesthetics, ergonomics and sensory experience in mind – which add up to an experience that’s unique to Audi vehicles.

As excited as we are about the Audi A1, in many ways, is simply another example of Audi’s ability to deliver what it promises: uncompromising quality.

And we leave you with another innovative Audi A1 Video:

When creating a new Audi from scratch, every square-centimeter of the design – from the windows to the mirrors – requires meticulous attention to detail and careful planning. But what does vary from model to model are the elements that make it unequivocally unique.

For the Audi A1, perhaps the most distinctive and personality-infused design element is its daringly sporty shoulders. When looking at the Audi A1 head on, the designers have imbued a sense of masculinity, by making its ‘shoulders’ unusually broad and dramatic – giving it a tough stance.

From side-on, the shoulder-lines are more pronounced that your average: with a sharp line that starts from above the front end strips and along the sides as far as the rear lights – the line gracefully arched and completely unbroken. Like a painting’s vanishing point, this line keeps the designs composition together; the central element to which other elements are drawn in. Rather than a conventional car design, where the front end, sides and tail are pulled together by separate lines and shapes. Here, the designers aimed to create what they described as “one complete unit… the whole car is a single sculpture”.

As for the roof – with its curved design that runs sharply from the A-post to the tail – is another element that defies conventional design.

The wind-shield is more upright, while the rear-window has been given noticeably less rake, making it look fast and giving the impression of dramatic forward momentum – even when stationary.

An exciting prospect is Audi’s claims that customers will be able to order the roof in a variety of colours (whatever the car’s main body colour). Well… an exciting prospect if you’re looking to mix black with gunmetal grey. Perhaps not so good if you’re duped into getting a baby blue / sage red combo!

We leave you with a video from Ivo van Hulten, interior designer of the Audi A1.

In the same week the first Audi A1 test mule was spotted in an unidentified location on the continent, Audi confirms that the Audi A1 model range is in the pipelines and A1 variants will emerge gradually over the next few years.

Speaking to Car Magazine, one of the biggest automotive publications in the UK, Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi AG board member for sales and marketing confirmed more intel on the Audi A1 model range.

With regards to the design there will be no substantial changes to initial concept,

Metroproject Quattro and A1 Sportback.

Mr. Schwarzenbauer also admitted that Audi has plans for a complete line of Audi A1 variants, in his own words: “We will start with the three-door version with several different engine variants,”

This leads us to the conclusion that will see a three-door A1 hatchback (based on the 2007 Metroproject concept) first. After will come a five-door Audi A1 Sportback, then an Audi A1 Cabriolet or maybe an Audi S1 and finally, an Audi A1 Avant or SUV based model. Audi Q1 anyone?

Officially confirmed for the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March, our continental fellows will have the pleasure to drive it first as sales starts next summer, while we’ll have to wait till September to get our hand on an Audi A1.

The Audi A1 resembles a clear intent of Audi tackling the smaller-sized premium sector and by what we have seen so far, it is highly capable of doing so. UK prices should be around 11,000.

Some renderings of  what the ‘Audi A1 Metroproject Quattro’ concept will look like have been leaked.

Summary of the A1 Metroproject Quattro preview car… 

 Size: 910mm in length (A3 3dr 4,214mm), 1,750mm width (A3 1,765mm), 1,400mm high (A3 1,420mm)

The Capacity of lithium-ion batteries makes a range of up to 62 miles possible without petrol engine intervention. Batteries rechargeable via mains socket.

With the engine and electric motor operating simultaneously a torque maximum of 440Nm (petrol engine 240Nm, electric motor 200Nm) is made available. 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds, 124mph top speed, 57.6mpg, 112g/km CO2.

The interior features innovative Audi mobile hand-held device offering mobile telephony, MP3 and video playback and GPS navigation Driver can also input sat-nav destinations and control in-car functions such as heating before leaving home

It features a new take on Audi’s established Quattro technology. The Audi qutro four-wheel drive system is usually a traditional one engine driving four wheels affair. But the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine under the A1 Metroproject’s bonnet only powers the front wheels. It gives a respectable 148bhp but is not going to help out with back-end traction.

The secret is instead under the boot floor, where lurks a compact 40bhp electric motor, driving  the rear wheels.

The A1 Metroproject is a hybrid, too. an extra 40bhp might not sound very much, the real bonus of an electric motor is the instant – and we do mean instant – torque. In the Audi A1 Metroproject’s case, the motor delivers an extra 148lb ft of torque. More than enough to propel what is supposedly an environmentally friendly city-car concept to 65mph in 7.8 seconds. The electric  motor can also power the Audi A1 Metroproject entirely on its own at urban speeds, with a range of up to 65 miles thanks to lithium-ion batteries. As with all hybrids the only real downside is the weight penalty; the set-up reputedly adds 70kg to the Metroproject’s overall weight.

The Audi A1 Metroproject is also a ‘plug-in’ hybrid. So it can be recharged at any standard power outlet as well as via the petrol engine. It uses various regenerative techniques to recover energy while driving too, just like the Toyota Prius, and new BMW and MINI EfficientDynamics models. As a result it produces just 112g/km of CO2 and is capable of 57.6mpg. if you do not think that too impressive, remember: we are talking about 148bhp turbocharged petrol engine here, not some kind of diesel. The 1.4 turbo should appear in a refreshed A3 next year, the new A4, and the production A1.