Elton John Audi A1 Sold For 522,000 USD

Do you remember the cute and pink Audi A1 designed by Damien Hirst from a few days back. It was sold at Sir Elton John's auction at the Tie & Tiara Ball last night for 350,000 GBP, or 425,000 EUR, or 522,000 USD. That's more than half a million dollars! The money brought by the auctioned Audi A1 will go to Sir Elton John's AIDS Foundation (EJAF).

Last night's fundraiser featured almost 700 VIP guests from around the world who wished to help the research against AIDS. This foundation, which was established back in 1993, manages over £14 million in programmes across 15 countries. Apart from the research mentioned earlier, the foundation also helps with the medication, nutrition, education, shelter and support for millions of people around the globe.

Audi A1 Marketing Stunt Fail

This Audi A1 flipped over while climbing a halfpipe during a public marketing stunt at Cinqunantenaire Park in Brussels last week. Audi attempted to suppress photos of the incident, but here's the hilarious aftermath.

Audi's been giving test rides up-and-down a halfpipe in Brussels in order to demonstrate the skateboard-like maneuverability of the new Audi A1, but on the fourth day of testing a stunt driver nosed into the wall and flipped over on its side. The car was pushed over by Audi employees and the driver and passenger were quickly freed. The smoking car was then covered up and rolled away out of view of the public.

Audi A1 Miniseries Stars Justin Timberlake

All-purpose heartthrob Justin Timberlake is co-starring with Audi's A1 in a new miniseries that has just debuted on Audi's Web site and YouTube.

The Next Big Thing, as the series is called, has all the usual accoutrements of the thriller genre: a beautiful woman (Dania Ramirez), a gun battle and a narrow escape, all packed into a two-minute, high-energy clip. The A1 plays the role of the getaway car, and the series is planned to be interactive.

Audi's A1 city car

Audi A1 Quattro

Audi A1

Audi A1 Sportback

Audi will reveal its long-awaited city car, the A1, online early in February, 2010 and a month later at the Geneva auto show.

The cars will inevitably do battle with the evergreen BMW-produced Mini but Audi says it will be the first automakerto offer a premium car in the sub-compact segment when it launches the A1.

If this computer rendering supplied by the Motor Authority website is anything to go by, the A1 will have unmistakable Audi DNA - it looks at lot like the existing A3 - only smaller.

Little else is known about the A1 - not prices, not engine size(s) - but expect Audi to release more information gradually in coming weeks.