28 Brighton & Hove Independent Friday, March 21 2014
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Motoring
Health
Audi S1 delights with electrifying pace
Fitness fads are sprouting up but you have to be careful Paul Coneyworth @BeauPilates
The S1 may be fast, but the hefty price tag is hard to swallow
First impressions Taking what’s effectively a VW Golf GTI engine, dropping it into a car from a couple of sectors below and adding four-wheel drive sounds like a crazy recipe. And it’s good, very good. The S1 combines everything drivers loved about the A1 quattro – the performance and the looks – with all the strong points of a regular A1. At £24,900 for the three-door, it’s not exactly cheap, costing around £1,200 less than a Golf GTI. But if you’re after a small, fast hatchback and want something a bit more premium and a bit more exclusive than a Ford Fiesta ST or Renaultsport Clio – not to mention with extra performance – look no further. Performance The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor lurking in the S1’s short nose kicks out a healthy 231hp. Mated to a sixspeed manual gearbox and Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system, it means the 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in 5.8 seconds. It feels every bit as strong, too, helped by a 273lb ft swell of torque. And that’s available
from around 1,800rpm, the engine pulling strongly from there through the mid-range and hurling the S1 down the road with a gruff, turbocharged fourcylinder roar piped back into the cabin. It sounds very good indeed.
S1 gets the same full five-star EuroNCAP crash safety rating, while that ever-present fourwheel-drive traction, plenty of electronic driver aids and big brakes should ensure great stability and peace of mind.
Interior Most are fans of the regular Audi A1’s interior – it’s by far and away the nicest cabin in the sector. So adding a few S model touches has finished it off beautifully. Quality is extremely high, as you’d expect, and every surface is cloaked in leather and soft-touch plastic, which makes the S1 a delight both to cruise and charge around in. This is a grownup and refined small hot hatchback. There’s not much room in the back, so don’t expect to be carrying passengers far, if at all.
The verdict The 2014 Audi S1 is something of a surprise. You may worry that it might feel a bit overblown, that 231hp in a supermini-sized body would be too much for the chassis to deal with. But fear not. It’s supple and controlled, and rides well – probably the biggest revelation from the car’s launch. That engine is stonking, with loads of sustained shove linked to plenty of reassuring grip. Then there’s the impressive interior quality you’d expect from an expensive Audi. But that’s the S1’s drawback: price. It’s £7,905 more than a Ford Fiesta ST, even if it is more powerful and more premium, that’s a big price to pay for the extras – literally. Combined with a few practicality issues not present in most of its rivals, that’s the only reason the S1 is a four-star car. On performance, handling and quality alone, it’s top of the class.
Economy and safety Despite that 2.0 turbo motor and all-wheel drive doing its best to sap efficiency, fuel economy and CO2 emissions are impressive at a claimed 40.2mpg combined with 162g/km for the three-door. This falls to 39.8mpg with 166g/km CO2 for the Sportback. Based on the regular A1, the
Parenting Time Waits For No Mum
Mummy K @no_mum
If you are a parent, you are probably more used to thinking about what you can do for your child - or what you are willing to do for them, but would rather
not. For example, use your hands to stop their sick ending up on the sofa. What you might not have been doing is thinking about what
they can do for you. Time for that to change, I say Let me give you some ideas to kick start the process: ■ Your child can be especially useful when you want to communicate in an indirect or passive-aggressive manner. This works best before the child can talk: “Liam, could you tell Daddy that he’s forgotten his shoes don’t go there!”; ■ If you do not want to queue for something, your child can help you skip to the front. This
Believe it or not, fitness fads are not a recent invention. For more than 3,000 years, we have sought new and exciting ways to remain healthy and increase our physical fitness. Whether we are talking about Milo of Croton, who in the sixth century BC lifted a bull daily to increase his strength, or the amalgamation of salsa and merengue music to create Zumba in the early 1990s - and let us not forget Wii Fit in the Noughties fads and trends move rapidly and are ever-evolving. Of course, as one of the most dynamic and changeable regions of the country, the people of East Sussex know that not all fads withstand the test of time. Unless anybody can confirm any bulllifting sightings in Preston Park? We are almost a quarter of the way through 2014 and at the start of year it was reported that the fads of this year will be: bodyweight training, heavy technology…and Brussels-sprout diets! Although I did consider entering the debate on the positive influence sprouts have on an individual’s diet, I decided against it, having banished them from my household this Christmas. This brings me to bodyweight training, which has been used for a long time now as a convenient and favoured way to exercise – because it incorporates your natural range of movement coupled with the fact that it is free. Bodyweight training is so widespread because you access all body parts to become your own personal gym. Although bodyweight training is a fantastic method of exercise, I always have to err on the side of caution with respect to the
usually works best if the child is in distress; it is more a case of seizing the opportunity than causing deliberate upset; ■ Children are great for carrying things around for you, provided they are not breakable, valuable or precious in any way. Buy them a fun backpack and pop the item in it; you will be free of carrying duty for at least 10 minutes; ■ Your child can get you out of almost any situation. Cannot face seeing that friend today?
Milo of Croton lifted a bull every day
practicability of certain exercises, because they require significant elements of coordination, balance and strength. And that is before you even begin. Take three of the most famous - and sometimes infamous exercises in the repertoire of a personal trainer: burpees; the plank; and the sit-up. If done incorrectly, any of these three exercises can cause significant injury to your lower back and knees. The old British chestnut of “no pain, no gain,” is relevant here. And I must stress that is absolutely the wrong mentality. When attempting bodyweight exercises, it is of paramount importance that you do not stretch yourself to failure: a state where you cannot do anymore. Of equal importance, you should always consider your alignment - especially during squats, lunges and burpees. This should be taken into consideration before you even consider what your end-goals and overall ambitions are. I do not look forward to driving past Palmeira Square or the Hove Lawns; I often shudder at the poor choice of some personal trainers and their weight-training enthusiasts. Paul Coneyworth is master trainer at BeauPilates, 14 Bavant Road, Brighton BN1 6RD. For more information, visit: www.beaupilates.co.uk
Want to leave work early? Need to cut short a phone-call? Your child is the perfect excuse/ reason every time. No need to thank me. I consider it my duty to share this wisdom with my fellow parents in Brighton and Hove. Let me know what you manage to add to the list. Time Waits For No Mum is a blog by “Mummy K”, who writes anonymously about motherhood and more: www.timewaitsfornomum.com