16 December 2011
Inspiration can be found in the strangest of places. Look at Audi, who took design direction from the national Japanese soccer team for the one-of-a-kind A1 model unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in November.
In a respectful nod to the show’s host country, the three-door A1 Samurai Blue has the style, speed, power and agility of the Japanese football team who are the reigning AFC Asian Cup champs and have also qualified for the last four FIFA World Cup finals. The A1 even wears the traditional blue and white colours of the Japanese team, appropriately nicknamed ‘Blue Samurai’. Rounding it off the are accents of red taken from the nation’s flag, also featuring on the exclusively-designed 18-inch polygonal wheels.
Audi will sell the A1 as a special, one-off model and donate part of the proceeds to charity but there are rumours the German manufacturer will in fact produce a limited edition version released for sale in 2012.