Audi has revealed a surprise hybrid-powered supercar, with dramatic styling and a name that pays tribute to its motorsport heritage.
Launched ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, the Nuvolari is named after Tazio Nuvolari, who drove for Auto Union (which eventually evolved into Audi) during the 1930s.
As Audi returns to grand prix racing with its new Formula 1 team, the company is keen to demonstrate the innovation that competing in the sport can bring.
The result is a 1,001hp limited-production supercar, with design inspired by Auto Union racers and thoroughly modern engineering underneath.
“With the Audi Nuvolari, we are accelerating technological progress,” said Audi chairman Gernot Döllner. “It shows what is possible when the focus is on technology, performance and execution through teamwork – and when we achieve progress together.”
Inspired by Auto Union race cars
If the narrow front grille of the Nuvolari looks familiar, that’s because Audi first showed it on the Concept C sports car, revealed last year. The concept was directly inspired by the Auto Union Type C racer, as driven by Tazio Nuvolari.
The rest of the Nuvolari looks more conventional by supercar standards, It’s styling has more than a hint of Lamborghini Temerario – a car that contributes many of its mechanical components.
However, Audi has added its own unique elements via the use of active aerodynamics, as seen on the company’s Formula 1 cars. Downforce, drag and aero balance can all be adjusted, depending on the driving conditions.
A deployable rear wing is controlled via a rotary dial on the steering wheel, or can be left in automatic mode. The steering wheel also features a button for the Drag Reduction System (DRS), used to help reach a maximum speed of 217mph.
When it came to developing the Nuvolari’s aerodynamics, Audi asked its current F1 drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, for their feedback.
Equal to a Bugatti Veyron
Audi has chosen ‘Titanium’ paint for the Nuvolari, a colour previously seen on the Concept C – and also used on the company’s Formula 1 cars.
Beneath the signature hue are weight-saving carbon fibre body panels, mounted on a proven Audi Space Frame chassis.
This lightweight construction, along with the huge horsepower developed by the hybrid powertrain, should should give the Nuvolari an incredible power-to-weight ratio.
The Lamborghini-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine develops 800hp on its own, and is capable of revving all the way to 10,000rpm.
It is matched with three axial flux electric motors, which boost total output to a colossal 1,001hp – exactly the same as a Bugatti Veyron.
Quattro four-wheel drive is electrified
Two of the electric motors are mounted on the front axle, creating a new, electrified version of Audi’s famous Quattro four-wheel drive.
Branded as Quattro Predictive Ride, the Nuvolari can distribute torque rapidly between its front and rear axles, and between individual wheels. All this happens in collaboration with the active aerodynamics, too.
Deploying all its power and torque sees the Nuvolari accelerate from 0-62mph in 2.6 seconds, then reach 124mph in just 6.8 seconds.
A 7.3kWh lithium-ion battery stores electrical power, with energy boost and recuperation modes available.
Ceramic Pro brakes use 10-piston fixed calipers with 420mm brake discs on the front axle. At the rear, four-piston calipers are paired with 410mm discs.
The carbon brake discs are said to be derived from those on Audi’s Formula 1 car. They can apparently handle deceleration loads on a par with the Nuvolari’s racing cousin, too.
Nuvolari will arrive in 2027
On the inside, Audi has taken a minimalist approach to the Nuvolari, following design influences used in the Concept C.
Forget huge screens, as there is only a simple digital instrument panel and a relatively small central display, plus a smattering of physical buttons. You might also spot the large paddles for the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Compared to recent Audi models, it makes the interior of the 1,001hp supercar look pleasingly calm and focused.
Audi only plans to build 499 examples of the Nuvolari, with production set to commence in the first half of 2027.
Prices will start from £500,000 making the successor to the much-loved R8 a substantially more expensive supercar. However, hypercar levels of performance and exclusivity are guaranteed.
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