The Audi Nuvolari is a 1,001-PS plug-in hybrid supercar limited to 499 units, with deliveries beginning in the first half of 2027. Audi presented the near-production prototype near Antibes ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, positioning its first supercar with a high-performance hybrid powertrain as a technological flagship. The drivetrain pairs a 4.0-liter V8 biturbo with three axial-flux electric motors for a combined system output of 736 kW (1,001 PS). According to the company, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of more than 350 km/h.
Highlights
- Combined system output of 736 kW (1,001 PS) from a 4.0-liter V8 biturbo and three 110 kW axial-flux electric motors
- 7.3 kWh lithium-ion battery with an E-Hybrid mode for fully electric urban and short-distance driving
- Company-reported 0–100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and a top speed above 350 km/h
- Production capped at 499 units, with deliveries from the first half of 2027
A high-performance hybrid powertrain
At the core of the Nuvolari is a 4.0-liter V8 biturbo producing 588 kW (800 hp) and 730 Nm, with a maximum engine speed of 10,000 rpm — a range the company notes was previously reserved for motorsport. It works alongside three axial-flux electric motors, each rated at 110 kW. Two oil-cooled units sit on the front axle and deliver up to 2,150 Nm of torque as an integral part of the quattro system, while a third motor is positioned between the mid-mounted V8 and the transmission. Energy comes from a lithium-ion battery with a gross capacity of 7.3 kWh.
“With the Audi Nuvolari, our entire team has once again demonstrated its technical expertise, innovative strength, and dedication,” said Rouven Mohr, CTO of Audi. “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.”
A next-generation quattro system
The Nuvolari introduces what Audi calls quattro predictive ride, an evolution of its all-wheel-drive system. The system builds a vehicle state model from sensor inputs including steering angle, acceleration, yaw rate, and current grip level, then responds before grip is lost by coordinating torque distribution, brake interventions, and active aerodynamics. The front-axle motors enable variable torque vectoring for cornering agility and high-speed stability.
Drivers select among four modes via steering-wheel controls — E-Hybrid for electric-only running, Balanced, Dynamic, and Dynamic+ — with a dedicated Track Mode that tunes traction control from Wet to Dry and Race to TC Off.
Energy recovery across the drive
Boost and recuperation strategies are tied directly to torque distribution. Adaptive coasting and brake recuperation extend energy recovery across nearly all driving phases: the front axle handles a significant share of electric deceleration, while the rear axle recovers energy during coasting, partial-load, and traction-control phases. Purely electric deceleration of up to 0.3 g is available, stabilizing the car while charging the battery. A Launch Control function draws on stored energy for maximum acceleration.
Design and lightweight construction
The Nuvolari is the first production model to follow Audi’s new design philosophy, with a mid-engine layout, taut surfaces, and the brand’s new Titanium exterior finish — a color shared with the Audi Concept C and the brand’s Formula 1 car. It combines Audi Space Frame technology with a carbon exterior for the first time, with nearly all exterior panels formed from carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer using a prepreg autoclave process. Forged center-lock wheels also make their production debut.
Active aerodynamics adjust downforce and drag across the body, from a vented front-end S-duct to a deployable rear wing with Closed, Low Downforce, and High Downforce settings and a manually triggered Drag Reduction System.
“The Audi Nuvolari brings pure emotion and performance to the road,” said CEO Gernot Döllner. “It also reveals how we are taking ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ into a new era.”
The supercar is named after Tazio Nuvolari, the Italian driver who raced for Auto Union, an Audi forerunner, in the 1930s.
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