Audi Shows Its New Supercar In Action During Track Test

The Nuvolari is at the Nardò circuit in Italy, undergoing testing ahead of next year's launch.

2027 Audi Nuvolari

Photo by: Audi

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Jun 12, at 6:41am ET

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THE BREAKDOWN

Audi is evaluating prototypes at the Nardò and Nürburgring circuits.
Order books open in Q4 2026. Deliveries start next year.
The Nuvolari is limited to 499 units.
A Spyder version may follow.

It’s safe to say the Nuvolari came out of nowhere. Audi revealed the car last week without so much as a prior announcement, let alone a teaser. Not only that, but there had been no spy photos or videos of the R8’s indirect successor before its premiere. The car’s appearance has been dividing opinions ever since, and new images shared today give us a clearer look at the supercar’s sharp design.

Curiously, Audi decided to camouflage a prototype during a recent test at the Nardò track in Italy. That’s despite the fact we’ve already seen the Nuvolari from virtually every angle. Testing is underway for the coupe, but a convertible is likely to follow, given a recent hint from the company's CEO, Gernot Döllner.

Owned by Porsche and operated by Porsche Engineering, the Nardò Technical Center (NTC) features 20 test tracks, including the iconic circular high-speed ring spanning 7.8 miles (12.6 kilometers). It’s where former Bugatti test driver Loris Bicocchi famously crashed a Veyron prototype at 247 mph (398 km/h) after a front-left tire exploded.

The Italian Connection

But I digress. Audi is proud to say the Nuvolari was developed and revealed in a short time, while leaving out an essential detail that made all of this possible. Yes, the Lamborghini connection. The plug-in hybrid machine is heavily related to the Temerario. The engine note you’re hearing comes from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 carried over from the “baby Lambo,” revving all the way to 10,000 rpm.

Since we mentioned the Veyron earlier, it’s worth noting that the Nuvolari’s combined output of 987 horsepower matches Bugatti’s original rating for the quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16. On its own, the eight-cylinder engine produces 789 hp, mirroring the Temerario. Predictably, the V8 doesn’t sound nearly as good as the V10 used in the R8, but with emissions regulations growing increasingly stringent, there’s sadly no longer any place for the naturally aspirated 5.2-liter unit.

Low Production Run. High Price Tag

Audi is also testing the Nuvolari around the Nürburgring, and our colleagues from Motor1 Germany spotted a prototype earlier this week. Order books for European customers open in the fourth quarter of the year, with deliveries of the 499 cars scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027.

Only German pricing has been revealed so far, and predictably, the Nuvolari is eye-wateringly expensive. At €600,000, it costs nearly twice as much as the Temerario it is based on. Lamborghini is asking roughly €307,500 for its electrified supercar, which isn’t production-limited and will likely enjoy a long lifecycle, considering both the Gallardo and Huracan remained on sale for about a decade.

2027 Audi Nuvolari

Source: Audi

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Motor1's Take: The Nuvolari is a big deal not only because Audi is returning to the supercar segment. It also introduces an entirely new design language that will eventually spread across the lineup. The next model to adopt this fresh styling approach will be an electric sports car with a retractable roof. It’s due in 2027 as the production version of last year’s Concept C and will serve as a sister model to Porsche’s next-generation 718 Boxster and Cayman EVs.

Both the Nuvolari and Concept C also feature dramatically different interiors compared to Audi’s current lineup. Expect the pared-back screen setup to trickle down to mainstream production models around the turn of the decade. Hopefully, the company will keep its promise to bring back more physical buttons and return to the higher-quality cabins for which it was known over the past decade.

Stay Up To Date With The Audi Nuvolari:

Listen To Audi's New Supercar Race Around Monaco

How Audi Turned Lamborghini's Hybrid Supercar Into Something Entirely Its Own

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