Audi Brings the Nuvolari Supercar and Motorsport Legends to Goodwood

[Source: Audi]

There are few places better suited to celebrate automotive performance than the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This year’s event gave Audi the perfect stage to showcase both its future and its past, with the all-new Audi Nuvolari supercar making an unforgettable run up the famous Goodwood Hillclimb alongside some of the brand’s most iconic racing machines.

The biggest attraction was undoubtedly the near-production Audi Nuvolari prototype, piloted by nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. The 1.16-mile (1.86-kilometer) Hillclimb has become one of the world’s most famous demonstrations of speed and handling, making it the ideal venue for Audi’s newest halo car. Kristensen came away impressed after taking the wheel.

Kristensen Impressed

“What impresses in the Nuvolari is the way all the systems work together, from the new quattro drivetrain and vehicle dynamics to aerodynamics and the braking system,” he said. “Technologies such as the high-performance hybrid powertrain, active aerodynamics, and energy management are inspired by motorsports and have been consistently refined for road use.”

That racing DNA is exactly what Audi hopes will define the Nuvolari. The limited-production supercar is the fastest and most powerful production vehicle the company has ever built. It also introduces Audi’s new design philosophy, giving enthusiasts an early glimpse at where the brand’s styling is headed. Production will be limited to just 499 examples, with deliveries scheduled to begin during the first half of 2027. Audi’s display wasn’t solely focused on the future, however.

Audi Legends

Audi Tradition brought several legendary competition cars to Goodwood, including Le Mans prototypes, rally icons, and the famous Auto Union Type C and Type D Grand Prix racers. One of the most fascinating attractions was the public driving debut of the Auto Union Lucca, a faithful recreation of the streamlined “Rennlimousine” that helped establish Auto Union’s reputation for speed during the 1930s.

The original car earned its place in history in 1935 by setting a flying-start mile record with an average speed of more than 198 mph (320.267 km/h). Audi painstakingly recreated the vehicle using historic photographs and technical documentation before unveiling it earlier this year in Lucca, Italy, where the original record was set.

Rounding out Audi’s performance lineup was the new RS 5. Festival attendees had the opportunity to experience the high-performance plug-in hybrid on the Goodwood Circuit while viewing the legendary RS2 Avant and RS 4 Avant that helped define Audi’s high-performance wagon legacy.

By combining its newest supercar, its latest RS performance model, and some of the most significant race cars in its history, Audi demonstrated at Goodwood that its commitment to performance spans nearly a century and shows no signs of slowing down.