Audi CEO Explains Why the Nuvolari Changes Everything

[Source: Audi]

You have now had a few days to digest the shocking Audi Nuvolari. You have likely formed your own opinions about the car. But what do the people who are the closest to it think?

Audi chose one of the most glamorous weekends in motorsport to unveil one of the most important cars in the company’s history. Just days before the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, Audi pulled the covers off the new Nuvolari, a 987-horsepower hybrid supercar that serves as the brand’s technological flagship and signals a bold new direction for the four rings. The near-production prototype was presented on the Côte d’Azur with Audi Revolut F1 Team drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto in attendance. More importantly, both drivers have already spent time behind the wheel.

Formula 1 Driver Reactions

And based on their reactions, Audi enthusiasts have plenty of reasons to be excited. “The Audi Nuvolari looks really cool and unique,” said Hülkenberg. “For me, what truly counts is the overall package — that is, how the car feels, how precisely it responds, and how well performance and drivability complement each other. The Nuvolari really has a lot to offer.”

The German Formula 1 driver was particularly impressed by the car’s hybrid powertrain, which combines a twin-turbocharged V8 with three electric motors to produce more than 1,000 PS. “It’s exciting to see just how much potential this car has, and the power of the high-performance hybrid powertrain — with over 1,000 PS — is truly impressive,” he added.

While Hülkenberg focused on the performance, rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto highlighted the Nuvolari’s balance and handling characteristics after testing the car at Italy’s Nardò proving ground.

“Running the Audi Nuvolari at Nardò and working closely with the development team on the setup was a really great experience,” said Bortoleto. “What stands out immediately is how clean and predictable the car feels on turn-in. There’s basically no understeer, which is impressive given the level of performance.”

Bortoleto also praised the integration of the vehicle’s various systems, including its advanced aerodynamics and torque-vectoring technology. “You can clearly feel how the different systems — especially the aerodynamics and torque distribution — work together as one,” he said. “Overall, it’s a very complete package and a car that responds exactly the way you expect as a driver.”

Audi Executive Reactions

Audi executives were equally enthusiastic about what the Nuvolari represents for the company’s future.

CEO Gernot Döllner described the car as more than just a new supercar. “The Audi Nuvolari brings pure emotion and performance to the road,” said Döllner. “It also reveals how we are taking ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ into a new era.” He also connected the project directly to Audi’s growing Formula 1 ambitions.

“Team spirit and the drive for continuous improvement place Formula 1 teams in pole position,” he said. “This is exactly the mindset we are embedding at Audi.”

Technical Development Board Member Rouven Mohr pointed to several innovations that make the Nuvolari unique, including its active aerodynamics and new quattro predictive ride system.

“The Audi Nuvolari is the first supercar from Audi with a high-performance hybrid powertrain and sets a new benchmark for ‘Vorsprung durch Technik,'” said Mohr. “My personal highlights are the power of the high-performance hybrid powertrain, the active aerodynamics, and the world-first quattro predictive ride.”

The car’s predictive all-wheel-drive system can anticipate traction loss before it occurs, coordinating power delivery, braking, torque distribution, and aerodynamics in real time.

Meanwhile, Audi Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella emphasized that technology alone wasn’t the goal. “The Audi Nuvolari embodies ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in its most visceral form: progress through technology,” said Frascella. “And for us, technology never exists for its own sake. It is always a means to an end. And that end must be emotion.”

With production limited to just 499 units and pre-orders in Europe scheduled to begin in late 2026, the Nuvolari is destined to become one of Audi’s most exclusive models. More importantly, it proves that Audi remains committed to building the kind of emotional, high-performance halo cars enthusiasts have been craving ever since the R8 left production.