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Audi has revealed a surprise new model, called the Nuvolari, a limited edition supercar it claims will be the brand’s most powerful and fastest production vehicle in its history.
Only 499 cars will be built, making the 2027 Audi Nuvolari one of the rarest in the brand’s recent history, running short of the 660 units built for the Audi RS6 Avant GT wagon.
The Nuvolari isn't a new version of the Audi R8 per se, but it's hard to deny the close links and lineage of a mid-engine, two-seater model using a drivetrain borrowed from sibling brand Lamborghini, in this case a hybrid V8.
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Full details haven't been revealed, but the numbers already confirmed are impressive.
With a hybrid system consisting of a mid-mounted 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and three axial flux electric motors (as opposed to more common radial flux), the all-wheel drive Nuvolari boasts 736kW.
The engine alone produces 588kW of that (as well as 730Nm), while each electric motor has a 110kW maximum output. Two of those motors are mounted at the front axle and can collectively deliver 2150Nm of torque. The other is mounted between the engine and transmission.
The result of all this is a 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 2.6 seconds, on to 200km/h in just 6.8 seconds and an eventual top speed north of 350km/h.
Oh, and the engine revs out to 10,000rpm, so it’ll sound rather intense while doing it.
If it all sounds a bit familiar, the drivetrain is almost certainly a reapplication of the Lamborghini Temerario's, which is also a 4.0-litre hybrid V8 system featuring a 10,000rpm redline - though outputs there peak at just 676kW.
The brand’s Chief Technical Officer, Rouven Mohr, said the Nuvolari is a display of “technical expertise, innovative strength, and dedication” that draws from Audi’s recent entry into F1.
“This is reflected not only in the vehicle’s performance and its Formula 1-inspired technologies, but also in the ability to transfer innovations quickly and precisely into a production vehicle.”
The Nuvolari features other high-end advancements from Audi like its ‘Quattro predictive ride’ which uses sensors to adjust suspension and damping before the car reaches a section of road.
The car is also the first use of Audi’s space frame and carbon fibre exterior combination, drawn from the brand’s newfound F1 experience along with active aerodynamics.
Similarly, energy recuperation to charge the 7.3kWh lithium-ion battery in coordination with the braking system is another area benefiting from F1 tech.
Huge F1-derived 420mm discs at the front are clamped by 10-piston calipers under braking, while the rear features 410mm discs and four-piston calipers.
“A motorsport-inspired brake-by-wire system enables variable distribution between recuperation and hydraulic braking,” Audi says.
“The brake pedal is functionally decoupled from actual braking force at the wheels to ensure a consistent and precise pedal feel.”
The Nuvolari name comes from Tazio Nuvolari, an Italian racing driver who made a comeback to Grand Prix motorsport with Auto Union, Audi’s predecessor, after having retired. He won the 1938 Italian GP, his home race, with the brand.
Audi will start deliveries to Nuvolari customers in the first half of 2027.
