Speaking at the German launch of the new VW Polo GTI, Volkswagen's Polo technical director, Dr. Ernst Linder, confirmed a few key details of the Audi S1 while crushing any hopes for a VW Polo R. According to a report by drive.com.au, Linder confirmed the S1 will be powered by the same turbocharged and supercharged, 1.4-liter 4-cylinder found in the Polo GTI. Boasting 182 horsepower and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, the S1 will be the first Audi S car to lack quattro all-wheel drive.

According to drive.com.au, the S1 talk began as Linder commented on whether or not Volkswagen would build a Polo R, "I would say there have been some ideas about [Polo R], but more in the press than the company itself because we have our GTI and within our company Audi has an S1," Linder said. "The S1 topped our GTI and to put a car above both, we think we'll not have the volume to make it interesting. It would be too small amount of cars we can sell like this."

Linder also confirmed the S1's power rating while explaining why the Polo R would not be feasible and why the S1 is FWD. "From the technical point-of-view, of course we can do something, but from the financial point-of-view it makes not so much sense," he said. "It would be too expensive and we have the S1. The S1 will have 136kW (~182hp) and it's a very sporty car. If we put much more horsepower in the [Polo], we need something like four-wheel-drive. This is a technical feature that is very expensive."

Finally, for anyone looking to squeeze a few more ponies from the turbo/supercharged 1.4-liter, Linder explains that the S1's power is nearly at max. "I think with the 136kW in the Audi S1 I think the engine is reaching the borderline," he said. "I think you could get some more out of it but I don't think anymore than 10 or 20kW (10kW = 13.41hp)."

According to drive.com.au's report, the Audi S1 is "due for 2011." Look for the Audi S1 to make an official world debut at the Paris Motor Show this fall.

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