Audi has detailed the unusually rapid development of the Nuvolari, its successor to the R8, revealing that the project moved from its initial concept to a functional prototype in just 405 days. The company has released a 20-minute documentary showing how the car evolved from early sketches through detailed 3D renderings and ultimately into a full-size running vehicle.
The prototype has already been tested by Audi Formula 1 drivers Niko Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. The short development cycle reflects Audi's effort to adopt what it has described as a 'China speed' approach to creating new vehicles, while the Nuvolari also makes extensive use of components already available elsewhere within the VW Group.
A major part of that shared technology comes from the Lamborghini Temerario. The Nuvolari uses the same 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 and three electric motors, although Audi has paired the system with a larger battery. The Temerario uses a 3.8 kWh battery, while the Nuvolari has a 7.3 kWh unit.
The resulting combined output is also higher in the Audi. The Nuvolari produces 987 hp, compared with 907 hp for the Lamborghini Temerario. Using existing VW Group hardware alongside Audi's own development work appears to have played a role in allowing the project to move from an idea to a working prototype within the 405-day timeframe described by the company.
Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner said the Nuvolari demonstrates how quickly the company can turn an idea into a vehicle. He also described the model as more than a supercar, positioning it as a technological reference point intended to influence future Audi developments and the brand's broader technology portfolio.
The Nuvolari is also connected to Audi's plans for a future all-electric TT successor. Audi has previously said that model is scheduled to reach the market 30 months after being approved. According to the source, the electric TT is expected to share a similar design direction with the Nuvolari and use the same platform as the electric 718 Boxster and Cayman, with the battery positioned behind the seats to imitate the weight distribution of a mid-engined sports car.
The Nuvolari itself will remain significantly more exclusive. Audi plans to limit global production to 499 examples. The model was unveiled a couple of months before the publication of the new documentary, which now provides a closer look at the steps between the original drawings, digital development and the running prototype tested by the company's Formula 1 drivers.
Audi says deliveries of the Nuvolari are scheduled to begin in the first half of next year. Official pricing has not yet been announced. The source reports an expected starting price of around €600,000, or approximately $691,000, while the confirmed next step is the beginning of customer deliveries within Audi's stated timeframe.
