Audi’s 1,001 PS Nuvolari is its fastest car ever, and it’s not electric

Audi has revealed the Nuvolari, the fastest and most powerful production vehicle in its history. The hybrid supercar produces 1,001 PS (736 kW) from a 4.0-litre V8 biturbo paired with three axial flux electric motors. Only 499 will be built, starting at €600,000.

The V8 alone delivers 800 PS and revs to 10,000 rpm, territory previously reserved for motorsport. Each of the three electric motors adds 110 kW. Combined, the powertrain launches the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and 0 to 200 km/h in 6.8 seconds, with a top speed above 350 km/h.

The Nuvolari shares its platform with the Lamborghini Temerario, which produces 920 PS. But Audi pushed the output higher and added its own tech, including a system called quattro predictive ride. It processes steering angle, acceleration, yaw rate, and grip level in real time, coordinating the electric motors, brakes, and aerodynamic surfaces as a unified network.

The body is almost entirely carbon fibre reinforced polymer, built on an Audi Space Frame. Active aerodynamic surfaces, inspired by Formula 1, adjust position to generate downforce on demand. A vertical frame made of 64 individually angled tiles channels air through a concealed S-duct.

It is a plug-in hybrid, not a pure EV, at a time when Europe’s cumulative EV investment has passed €200 billion. Weighted fuel consumption sits at 11.3 l/100 km combined with 7.8 kWh/100 km of electric use. CO2 emissions land at 270 g/km. Those are preliminary figures, but they make clear this car is built for performance, not efficiency.

The timing is notable. Audi had signalled a push toward full electrification, but the Nuvolari is a combustion-led halo car arriving as the brand enters Formula 1 in 2026 and works to rebuild its performance credentials. It also comes as foreign automakers struggle to compete in China, where domestic brands now control 70% of the market. CEO Gernot Döllner said the car shows how Audi is “taking ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ into a new era.”

The name honours Tazio Nuvolari, one of the most celebrated racing drivers to represent the four rings. Ferdinand Porsche once called him “the greatest driver of the past, the present and the future.” Order books open in late 2026, with deliveries beginning in the first half of 2027.