Audi just announced the Nuvolari, a limited-run supercar named after the legendary Italian racing driver Tazio Nuvolari, and it is packing one of the most intoxicating powerplants available in any road car today: the 10,000-RPM naturally aspirated V8 borrowed from the Lamborghini Temerario.
The Temerario’s V8 is a jewel of an engine — a high-revving, flat-plane-crank unit that produces a screaming soundtrack unlike anything from a turbocharged motor. In the Nuvolari, that engine finds a home in a car that is described as wide, low, and unmistakably German in its visual presence. Early impressions suggest it looks like an evolution of the R8 without being a direct successor — a car that knows what it is and isn’t trying to be something it’s not.
Audi’s use of Lamborghini platform and powertrain technology makes sense given that both brands sit under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, but the Nuvolari represents a more deliberate and focused execution than the parts-sharing exercises that sometimes produce forgettable results. The nameplate choice also signals intent — Nuvolari was one of the greatest racing drivers of the pre-war era, a man who drove with ferocity and genius, and invoking his name on a supercar carries expectations.
Details on production numbers, pricing, and U.S. availability are still being released, but limited-run Audi performance models have historically attracted strong demand from collectors and enthusiasts even at significant price premiums. Given the combination of the Temerario V8 and what looks like genuinely striking bodywork, the Nuvolari seems well-positioned to sell out quickly wherever it’s offered.
The timing is interesting, too. High-performance Audi RS models have been prime theft targets in recent years, reflecting both their desirability and their resale value. A halo car like the Nuvolari, if priced at supercar levels, will likely occupy a different market segment — one where buyers and their insurers take security extremely seriously — but it reinforces the brand’s place at the top of the enthusiast consciousness.
For those who mourned the end of the R8 and felt that Audi had retreated from the supercar space, the Nuvolari is a meaningful signal that the four-ring brand hasn’t given up on building cars that make the heart race. Whether it can live up to the name it carries is a question only a full road test will answer — but on paper, the Nuvolari has everything it needs to be special.
Source: Jalopnik