emzino said:
The A1 ain't got a chance against the CooperS...
CooperS - 1.6 Turbo
A1 - 1.4 TSI
Ok it's not all about the cc size but the CooperS does pack a punch!
The reason why I make the comparison is because the A1 is meant to be in direct competition with the Mini. Of course my above comparison is only for performance sakes.
You're not using a fair model-to-model comparison though, are you?
You're using figures for the sportiest Mini, whereas the A1 is maybe more designed to compete with the Mini One, or normal Mini Cooper?
I stand to be corrected here.
The diesel engines seem to compare quite well.
My wife's (ordered) Mini Cooper diesel has a 1.6 turbo diesel, making 105bhp.
Exactly the same as the A1's proposed diesel.
FWIW, although the A1 is designed to compete with the Mini, I think it's going to have hard time, no matter how good it is.
I would venture the huge majority of Mini sales are based on the fact it is fashionable and funky, not because of it's driver appeal.
I could take my wife to see every other car in the price bracket, she would still say Mini, every time.
She can say "Mini" to her mates and they all go "oooh"
I just cannot imagine the A1 having the same effect.
I'm not saying Audi are wasting their time, but I think they'll be sorely disappointed if they expect to eat into it's sales in a big way.
It's like the i-pod, which is a good comparison to make.
As long as other MP3 player manufacturers accept it's the market leader, by miles, they'll be happy enough.
It's not the best, but it's become the iconic example of it's genre.
The default choice, just like the Mini.