With the Nuvolari, VW’s premium daughter, Audi, is unveiling its first supercar with a high-performance hybrid powertrain and making a bold statement about the future. Limited to 499 units, offering 1,001 hp and a top speed of over 350 kph, the Nuvolari is Audi’s fastest and most powerful production vehicle ever.
“This shows how the four-ring brand is blending Formula 1 spirit, technical innovation, a new design, and efficient processes,” says the press release. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner: “The Audi Nuvolari is a statement for the future of Audi, for a new form of performance, and for ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in the age of electrification.”
“In times of fundamental change, we are making bold strategic decisions,” he adds. “The Audi Nuvolari brings pure emotion and performance to the road. It also reveals how we are taking ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ into a new era.” Production is limited to 499 vehicles with deliveries beginning in the first half of 2027.
Supercar
Rouven Mohr, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at Audi, highlights the vehicle’s performance: “The Nuvolari is the first supercar from Audi with a high-performance hybrid powertrain, and it sets new standards with its aerodynamics and the world-first quattro predictive ride.”
The supercar embodies uncompromising performance and absolute focus. The near-production prototype, unveiled for the first time on Thursday, was developed rapidly through close international collaboration.
“Its name is derived from Tazio Nuvolari, one of the most prominent figures in the history of motorsports. To this day, the Italian is remembered for his fearlessness, ingenuity, dedication, and single-minded will to succeed,” Audi is remembering us.
A new design philosophy
The Nuvolari will be the first production vehicle to fully express Audi’s new design philosophy. “Its form is shaped by taut surfaces, precise lines, and a powerful, monolithic presence. Every design element serves a clear purpose and contributes to the overall logic of the car,” Audi states.
“The interior is consistently focused on the driving experience, with a refined and sophisticated environment. The Audi Nuvolari embodies ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in its most visceral form: progress through technology,” says Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella.
Innovation inspired by Formula 1
The Audi Nuvolari brings cutting-edge, Formula 1-inspired innovations directly to the road. These include the high-performance hybrid powertrain, the quattro predictive ride, active aerodynamics, and the Audi Space Frame with carbon exterior. “The Audi Nuvolari showcases how the brand with the four rings is turning innovative spirit into tangible results,” boasts the press release.
The car is powered by a hybrid high-performance powertrain with a maximum system output of 736 kW (1,001 hp). It combines a 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine delivering 588 kW (800 hp) with three axial flux electric motors, each producing 110 kW. The lithium-ion battery has a gross capacity of 7.3 kWh.
The combustion engine delivers a maximum torque of 730 Nm and reaches up to 10,000 rpm, a range previously reserved for motorsports. Two oil-cooled axial flux electric motors at the front axle deliver up to 2,150 Nm of torque. As an integral part of the quattro system, they support variable torque distribution. A third electric motor, positioned between the V8 mid-engine and the transmission, completes the drive concept.
The high-performance drivetrain accelerates the vehicle from 0 to 100 kph in 2.6 seconds and from 0 to 200 km/h in 6.8 seconds, with a top speed exceeding 350 kph.
For demanding roads or the track
The quattro drive system processes the current driving state based on a highly precise vehicle state model. Detailed sensor data, including steering angle, acceleration, yaw rate (the vehicle’s rotation about its vertical axis, which determines steering response in corners), and current grip level, are continuously fed into the control system. If the system anticipates a potential loss of grip in a corner, it responds proactively as an integrated system.
Drivers can also influence the system via rotary controls on the steering wheel, with four driving modes that prioritize powertrain, vehicle dynamics, and efficiency differently: ‘E‑Hybrid’ enables fully electric driving for urban and short-distance use; ‘Balanced’ combines comfort, efficiency, and performance; ‘Dynamic’ sharpens system response and enhances agility and precision; ‘Dynamic+’ focuses the powertrain entirely on an emotional driving experience.
For particularly demanding scenarios, vehicle dynamics can be further refined in Track Mode. This enables targeted adjustment of traction control to driving style and available grip. The settings range from ‘Wet’ to ‘Dry’ and from ‘Race’ to ‘Traction Control Off (TC Off)’, “allowing for transparent, controllable driving behavior right up to the physical limits”.
Lightweight, with active aerodynamics
The vehicle architecture of the Audi Nuvolari is consistently designed for lightweight construction and high torsional rigidity. To achieve this, Audi combines its proven Audi Space Frame technology with a carbon exterior, a first for Audi.
“The Audi Space Frame with carbon exterior combines low weight with high structural strength, forming the basis for precise handling and controlled high performance.” Almost all exterior components are made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP).
All carbon fiber components of the Audi Nuvolari have been developed using Formula 1 expertise. A key element is ‘prepreg autoclave technology’, in which pre-impregnated carbon fibers are shaped and then cured under high pressure and temperature, ensuring maximum structural performance with minimal weight.
Audi also uses active aerodynamics in the Nuvolari to purposefully combine performance and efficiency. The system adjusts downforce, drag, and aerodynamic balance in response to driving conditions, ensuring maximum stability and precise vehicle control.
Each exterior element serves a clearly defined aerodynamic function, from the front splitter over the deployable adaptive rear wing to the rear diffuser. Audi’s Formula 1 drivers provided targeted feedback during the development phase to fine-tune aerodynamic performance.
Dynamic energy management
The energy management system of the Audi Nuvolari is also inspired by motorsport. Boost and recuperation strategies are closely linked to torque distribution. As an integrated system, it continuously manages the interaction between power delivery and energy recovery, adapted to driving conditions, grip level, and driver intent.
The braking system has been developed with a clear objective: maximum performance under extreme conditions through precise interaction between hydraulic braking and electric deceleration. A motorsport-inspired brake-by-wire system enables variable distribution between recuperation and hydraulic braking. The brake pedal is functionally decoupled from actual braking force at the wheels to ensure a consistent and precise pedal feel.
Under suitable conditions, a significant portion of deceleration is provided purely electrically. Only under higher braking demands or near the vehicle’s dynamic limits does the system engage the hydraulic brakes seamlessly.
With an energy absorption capacity of up to 2.8 megawatts, the braking system can handle extreme deceleration loads, on par with those of a current Formula 1 car. This ensures consistently high braking performance without fading or overheating, even under extreme track conditions.
Driver-centric interior
The interior of the Audi Nuvolari is fully focused on the act of driving. A reduced architecture concentrates all controls on essential functions and positions them directly within the driver’s field of view, including key elements of the human machine interface (HMI).
This driver-centric approach prioritizes relevant information, while secondary content remains in the background. Digital displays and physical controls follow a consistent logic, enabling natural interaction.
