Audi targets emotional driving with new Nuvolari supercar

Audi is shifting its strategic focus toward driver-centric models designed to evoke emotion, guided by the development of the Nuvolari supercar. Rouven Mohr, Audi's Head of Research and Development, stated that while a successor to the R8 has not been decided, the company aims to reintegrate character-driven elements seen in past models like the TT and Avant.

The Nuvolari serves as a technological benchmark for this direction. A limited production run of only 499 units, the Nuvolari is a plug-in hybrid V8 supercar producing a combined 1,001 horsepower. It features a 4-liter biturbo V8 engine paired with three axial flux electric motors, delivering a total torque of 2,150 Nm. The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and reaches speeds exceeding 350 km/h.

This technology will influence future mainstream models, specifically the next generation of the quattro all-wheel-drive system. Audi is increasingly utilizing software-based control and machine learning to manage torque distribution. In RS performance versions, the system will prioritize traction and driving pleasure, whereas standard versions will focus on energy efficiency.