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Hot on the heels of its (unexpected) unveiling, the Audi Nuvolari supercar prototype has already been spotted testing at the Nurburgring. The company’s surprise introduction looks an awful lot like the old R8, but we’re being told it’s something else entirely—an even more aspirational machine that will boast a twin-turbocharged V8 with “around” 1,000 horsepower.
Just how was Audi able to pull something so sensational out of what appears to be thin air? Well, we don’t need to go that far back in the company’s model history for the answer. Like the R8, the Nuvolari will share its fundamentals with a Lamborghini. In this case, that’s going to be the Temerario. The raucous Lamborghini will also be the donor for the Nuvolari’s powertrain (electric motors and all), but it will make more power in the R8.
Audi says that between the V8 and its three axial-flux motors, the Nuvolari should hit 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds on the way to a top speed of 217 mph. That hybrid system also gives it an electric-only mode, but Audi’s not ready to commit to a range figure just yet. For whatever it’s worth the Lamborghini can only go about five miles on a charge.
The camo on this prototype is pretty extensive, but there’s no mistaking that shape underneath. We can also see the Nuvolari’s deployable rear wing in action. It has three modes: Closed, Low Downforce, and High Downforce. In the most aggressive setting, it generates 882 pounds of pressure, Audi says.
Based on Audi’s description, we’re probably seeing the “Closed” (below) and “Low Downforce” (above) positions in these photos.
Audi is also hard at work keeping the Nuvolari’s curb weight down. The hybrid powertrain won’t help in that regard, but its fancy carbon body certainly will. The labor-intensive body shell is part of the reason why Audi is building so few of these—just 499.
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Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
