Audi Nuvolari Hybrid Supercar Replaces R8 with 1001 HP V8 Engine and Formula 1 Motorsport Technology for Unmatched Speed
Audi is entering the extreme performance car market segment again with the introduction of the flagship hybrid supercar, the Nuvolari. It marks the brand's re entry after retiring the R8 model. According to manufacturer launch material, it is the fastest and most powerful road legal vehicle ever produced by Audi. By employing a state of the art hybrid system, it is able to produce some of the highest performance figures ever known to man to match elite hypercar producers around the globe.
At the heart of the system, we find a 4.0 liter twin turbocharged V8 gasoline engine. It is also paired with three electric motors. The engine produces 800 hp alone and it can rev up to an impressive 10,000 rpm. Together the electrical system produces a further 200 hp. This puts the whole system at a respectable 1001 hp. Power to the electric motors is supplied by a 7.3 kilowatt hour small battery pack. The mechanical power is sent to all four wheels by an advanced all wheel drive system. Two of the motors are placed on the front axle to supply torque vectoring, while the third is placed between the engine and the transmission. With this combination, Audi claims the Nuvolari can sprint from zero to 100 km/h (zero to 62 mph) in 2.6 seconds and reach speeds over 350 km/h (over 217 mph).
The car employs an Audi Space Frame chassis made largely of carbon fiber and the aerodynamic and braking components come directly from their motorsport programs. The supercar features an active rear spoiler to adapt its aerodynamics at different speeds, a drag reduction system akin to those on F1 cars, and ceramic brakes to help regain 2.8 megawatts of energy per brake operation. The engineering team revealed that Formula 1 drivers worked with them on tuning the chassis.
The platform is actually very closely related to the one used in the Lamborghini Temerario, and as both models use the same 4.0 liter V8 engine, the layout for the motors is quite similar, but it produces an output of 1001 hp instead of the 920 hp of the Italian supercar. Even though the architecture is identical, the Nuvolari comes with an additional sticker price of about 2.5 times that of the Temerario.
The highly exclusive hybrid will be produced in limited numbers. Only 499 examples of the Audi Nuvolari will be built around the globe, with each of them priced at around 600,000 Euros.
