Temerario’s boring German cousin?
As some of you remember, the Audi R8 bid goodbye nearly 4 years ago with the R8 Coupé V10 GT RWD. Limited to 333 units, la finale version was the most powerful R8 with 620 metric horses. Now it’s time for its successor to continue the story, but it’s no longer called the R8. It’s called the Nuvolari, named after the late Italian racing driver Tazio Nuvolari. Although the product may seem very concept-ish in the photos here, Audi says that the Nuvolari is a near-production prototype, and the deliveries will begin in the first half of 2027. What’s more interesting is that production is limited to 499 units.
While there are R8-ish elements, the overall design looks quite unfinished and very concept-ish, as mentioned. I wonder if this is another “DEI” victim. That Jaguar vibes are a bit strong here. But either way, the exterior is finished in a new ‘Titanium’ paint. The car is built around the Audi Space Frame with the exterior panels made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). Which means the kerb weight should be reasonable, despite the car packing a hybrid powertrain.
As for active aero, there’s a rear wing with three configurations: Closed, Low Downforce (LD), and High Downforce (HD). Under braking and in corners, the wing moves to the HD position, and depending on the driving situation, is claimed to generate more than 400 kg (882 lbs) of downforce. The rear wing can also be manually adjusted via a rotary control on the steering wheel — in all driving modes except E‑Hybrid.
Braking duties are handled by the so-called Audi Ceramic Pro braking system, claimed to be F1-derived. The discs are based on a long-fiber carbon structure designed to withstand extreme thermal loads without compromising structural integrity or consistent friction characteristics, Audi says. The discs measure 420 × 40 mm at the front, gripped by 10-piston calipers, and 410 × 32 mm at the rear, gripped by 4-piston calipers. A specially designed internal cooling system for the discs is claimed to improve airflow and increase heat dissipation by up to 21% compared with conventional carbon-ceramic systems.
Moving on to the business end of the story then, the Nuvolari packs a hybrid powertrain. It combines a 4.0L V8 biturbo and three 110 kW (150 metric hp) axial-flux electric motors, just like in the Temerario. Two motors are at the front, while the third one is integrated into the 8-speed DCT. The ICE will produce 588 kW (800 metric hp) and up to 730 Nm (538 lb-ft), and can rev up to 10,000 rpm. Two oil-cooled electric motors at the front axle are claimed to deliver up to 2,150 Nm (1,586 lb-ft) of torque. The maximum system power output is claimed to be 736 kW (1,001 metric hp), significantly more than in the Temerario. The lithium-ion battery pack is 7.3 kWh, larger than in the Lamborghini. The official 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time is 2.6 seconds, and the top speed is over 350 km/h (217 mph).
The interior looks just as minimal, boring, and quite unfinished as well. However, according to Audi, the color accents in the HMI are a nod to the legendary Auto Union Type C race car. Notice that there’s a two-tone theme going on: the front section is finished in a deep, dark tone, while the rear section features a lighter tone called Shadow Dune. The lightweight seats feature carbon fibre backrest and seat base.
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