When your girlfriend or wife is looking for a new small car, let her buy the Citroen C1 GT.

Citroen’s C1 has now morphed into something more like a supercar.

If the Pluriel is a latte, the C1 GT is a double espresso! While Citroen’s standard C1 is a cheap and cheerful city runabout, it has now morphed into something more like a supercar.

Under the bonnet, the coachbuilder has slotted in the C2 VTR’s 1.6-litre petrol engine. Then, the standard C1 was cloaked with outrageous bulging bodywork, making the hatchback look as if it has overdosed on steroids
The wild GT was penned by Swiss-based Italian designer Franco Sbarro. Under the bonnet, the coachbuilder has slotted in the C2 VTR’s 1.6-litre petrol engine. Then, the standard C1 was cloaked with outrageous bulging bodywork, making the hatchback look as if it has overdosed on steroids.

However, the changes are more than just cosmetic, with a huge air intake at the front used to extract maximum pace from the 125bhp engine. Traditional doors have been replaced by gullwings, while the sill has been raised to ensure the GT remains as stiff as possible.

Add in lowered Recaro sports seats and you need to be as flexible as a gymnast to get in gracefully. But once you’re behind the red Alcantara and leather-covered steering wheel, it’s well worth the effort. The driving position benefits from being so low, and while the steering is heavy at city speeds, having a weightier engine over the front wheels makes it feel wonderfully direct above 35mph.

That motor adds plenty of performance, too. The C1 GT tips the scales at a relatively light 900kg, while Sbarro claims it has achieved 130mph in this machine – and it was still accelerating.

Just as well the brakes are derived from the World Rally Xsara’s. But while they scrub off speed superbly, their on-off nature takes getting used to. So does the sound of the centrally mounted exhausts – and the admiring looks from passers-by.

Numerous “S” models, from most of Audi’s mainstream model ranges have been produced over the years. These cars are recognisable by their “S*” badges, and vertical emphasis lines on their front grilles.

AUDI AGs high performance private subsidiary, creates even higher performance versions, known by their “RS” badging. The “RS” initials are taken from the German: RennSport – literally translated as “racing sport”. RS is Audi’s highest performance ‘top-tier’ trim level, positioned distinctly above the “S” (“Sport”) specification level of Audi’s regular model range.

Audi RS cars are some of the most powerful vehicles ever offered by Audi. The Audi RS6 5.0 TFSI quattro, for instance, is more powerful than the Audi S8 5.2 FSI quattro.

Audi will be launching the RS5 in 2010 as a 2011 model. The new RS5 is set to debut at the 2009 Detroit Audo show. There is however some talk about the release of the RS5 being sooner. At this point there is no confirmation from Audi in either direction. Although much of the buzz surrounding the RS5 is speculation at this point, he general concensus is that the Audi RS5 will carry a 4.2 liter V8 engine complete with two small but highly responsive turbochargers to produce 450-480 horsepower giving it the ability to go from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. The torque expectations are high, at or above 500lb ft torque. Another option which has been highly publicized in blogs across the internet is the possibility for the RS5 to get the Lamborghini V10, similar to the one in the S8.