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If you were hoping that the Audi Nuvolari would come at a discount relative to its Lamborghini cousins, we have some bad news. The automaker announced the start of US sales for the plug-in hybrid supercar, and believe it or not, the Nuvo isn’t just more expensive than the Temerario with which it shares a platform, it’s even pricier to start than the more powerful, V12-engined Revuelto.
Of course, neither can match the Audi’s incredible, billet aluminum interior and exterior finishes, so that could be worth the $700,000 starting price for some customers.
The First Audi Supercar In Half A Decade Is Real Pricey
Audi made it very clear from the Nuvolari’s debut that it wasn’t a successor to the R8, which exited production after the 2023 model year. Despite being based on the Temerario’s plug-in hybrid platform – echoing the relationship between Audi and Lamborghini’s supercars in the past – the Nuvolari was always positioned as a standard-bearing flagship for the automaker’s future design and performance aspirations.
That said, we weren’t expecting it to cost 700 bills, which is well up on the $158,600 starting price of the 2023 R8 and nearly double that of the Temerario. The Nuvolari does boast a few key improvements over its cousin, however, including a 987-horsepower combined rating that’s up 80 over the Lambo, thanks to some subtle retuning of the plug-in hybrid system’s three electric motors. That’s a distinct departure from the Huracán and R8, with the latter positioned as a less powerful, less expensive take on the mid-engined supercar chassis.
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But if power per dollar is your primary motivation, you’ll probably be happier with the larger Lamborghini Revuelto, which likewise comes with a three-motor PHEV powertrain but subs out the twin-turbocharged flat-plane V8 in favor of a naturally aspirated V12. Total output for the bigger Lambo sits at 1,001 hp, despite a starting price that’s around $30,000 cheaper than that of the Nuvolari.
What Does Audi Give You In Exchange For That Cash?
Still, the German automaker somehow made the Nuvolari feel even more exotic than its Italian relatives. For starters, Audi’s take on the PHEV supercar formula boasts full carbon fiber bodywork, with gorgeously crafted design details – the active-shutter front grille, lower air intakes, rear diffuser panel, and even the four-rings badge are all milled from a single piece of aluminum, for example. Unless you spend a handsome sum on carbon fiber accents, Lamborghini forces its customers to make do with black or body-colored plastic bumpers and ground effects.
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And as we learned in an up-close look at the Nuvolari, every single piece of in-cabin switchgear, from the window controls to the HVAC outlets, is made out of solid alloy. Here again, the Nuvolari one-ups the Temerario, which features a not-insignificant amount of “piano black” plastic on its center console and dashboard. The Audi’s lack of visible carbon fiber also represents a different approach to supercar style, which isn’t as focused on overt aggression or track-readiness as much as sculptural style.
The Audi Nuvolari also has exclusivity on its side. Globally, the automaker will build just 499 units, and a mere 182 of those cars will be sold in the US. That’s a drop in the bucket compared to the 1,500 Revueltos that Lamborghini builds each year, much less the cheaper and more commonplace Temerario. If you’re lucky enough to buy an Audi, you won’t be likely to see another out in the wild, and some collectors are happy to pay a premium for that specialness.
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CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
The Nuvolari, which enters production late next year and hits the US market sometime in 2028, doesn’t make much sense on a value-per-dollar basis, and the peanut gallery will surely have plenty to say about its $700,000 price. But with such a limited production run, we have no doubt that Audi will sell every supercar it can build, and its novel design language – first seen on the Concept C and a preview of all next-gen Audis – will make future cars from the brand look and feel more expensive.
Base Trim Engine
4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 PHEV
Base Trim Transmission
Automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
987 HP
Base Trim Torque
538 lb-feet
0-60 MPH
Less than 2.6 seconds
That halo effect, combined with the exclusivity (and likely profitability), is just one reason why an automaker builds a supercar, and in that respect, the Audi Nuvolari should be an unqualified success.
Source: Audi
