Audi Nuvolari: a preview of the brand’s most powerful hybrid supercar, travelling between Mantua and Milan
From the legacy of Tazio Nuvolari to the new supercar from the brand with the four rings – a project born of Italian creativity and developed in Nardò, combining tradition, technology and performance.
There is a thread linking the history of Audi’s racing heritage to the present day, and the Audi Nuvolari is one of its most significant expressions. The journey of the new hybrid supercar, which made its Italian debut between Mantua and Milan, begins with the legacy of Tazio Nuvolari and culminates in a car that is firmly focused on the future. But the link with Italia is not merely evocative: the Audi Nuvolari is a project that speaks Italian in its very origins, born of the creativity of designer Massimo Frascella and technically developed in Nardò, in the heart of Salento, where expertise in automotive research and development has been integral to the car’s creation.
Two eras, the same approach
Almost ninety years on, a comparison with the Auto Union Type D reveals a surprising continuity in design. The 1930s single-seater featured a mid-rear engine layout to optimise weight distribution and was powered by a supercharged 3.0-litre V12 producing 485 cv. The Nuvolari adopts that same configuration, reinterpreting it with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo plug-in V8 paired with three electric motors, delivering a total power output of 1,001 cv. This evolution enables the supercar to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h in 6.8 seconds and to exceed 350 km/h.
From the track to the road
The Nuvolari’s sporting pedigree is also evident in its dynamic engineering. The new-generation quattro all-wheel drive system predictively manages torque distribution both longitudinally, between the two axles, and transversely, between the wheels on the same axle. Rounding off the package are active aerodynamics, launch control and the Audi Ceramic Pro braking system, featuring carbon discs derived from Formula 1. These technologies underpin a clear philosophy: for Audi, motorsport continues to serve as a testing ground from which to transfer solutions and expertise to road cars.
Aluminium and carbon to keep the weight down
The parallel with the Type D continues when it comes to materials. Whilst the single-seater features a body made from hand-hammered aluminium, the Nuvolari brings the same principle of lightness into the age of composites. The aluminium Audi Space Frame, characterised by high torsional rigidity, is combined with a body made entirely of carbon fibre – a first for Audi. So whilst the technologies and materials have changed, the objective remains the same: to build a car in which every component has a specific function and contributes to improving efficiency, performance and dynamic handling.
The result is a car that uses the past as a starting point without turning it into a mere celebration. The history of Nuvolari and the Type D thus becomes part of a contemporary project, whilst the Italian influence – from Frascella’s creativity to the development work in Nardò – adds a further defining element to what is the most powerful and fastest road-going Audi ever.
