Audi is launching the ultimate A1, a limited-edition supermini designed to put the Mini John Cooper Works hardtop to shame. Powered by a turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 256 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, the all-wheel-drive A1 Quattro is said to hit 62 mph in 5.7 seconds and top out at 152 mph. The JCW Mini needs another half-second or so to get to 62 and tops out at 147. A six-speed manual is the only available transmission; the estimated fuel consumption is 27 mpg in the optimistic European cycle. The A1 Quattro rides on 225/35 rubber and 18-inch cast-aluminum center-lug wheels. Its suspension setup is much firmer than those of lesser A1 models, and the stability-control system can be switched off entirely. Funk Flex