Published: Dec 07, 2012

A1 Quattro Beats GT-R in the Wet

Audi’s potent limited edition hot-hatch pulls the Nissan GT-R’s pants down and gives it an almighty slap on its turbocharged behind.

Inexplicably, British publication Autocar has compared two very different four-wheel-drive sportscars in its latest video, pitting the mighty Nissan GT-R against the dainty Audi A1 Quattro to see which is faster in the wet. Of course you would expect much different results on a nice warm summer's day. But crucially this is the UK, where it rains a lot, so a test in the wet is far more relevant to British drivers. The GT-R may be twice as powerful as the limited edition 252-hp A1 Quattro, but it's also half-a-ton heavier.

When it came to tackling the Mira test track in the heavy rain, the supercar-killer struggled badly. Before Godzilla fanboys draw their swords, consider that the GT-R was likely wearing the wrong tires. On the other hand, the A1 Quattro looks a superb hot-hatch and the arrival of Audi's imminent S1 supermini couldn't come soon enough.