Our spies have captured the hotter S1 version of Audi's pint-sized hatch. This prototype may only look like an A1 in S-Line trim, but our spies point out that the larger tailpipes and heartier exhaust note are a dead giveaway of this car's heightened sporting intentions.

A five-door A1 is reportedly in the works, but the S1 will likely only be available in the three-door body style. Power is expected to come from a turbocharged, 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine which will be tuned to crank out around 180 horsepower, and Audi's seven-speed S-tronic gearbox will send that power to the front two wheels. That's right, folks – no Quattro versions of the A1 (or S1) are planned, so front-wheel drive it is.

This shiny red prototype looks to be nearing the final stages of development, which means we could see the production car as early as this year's Paris Motor Show. The S1 will certainly be a hot little number.

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