Audi has released a making-of documentary tracing how its new Nuvolari supercar went from first sketch to drivable prototype in 405 days. The company says a single autonomous project team, combining design, aerodynamics, vehicle technology and powertrain specialists, drove the unusually compressed timeline. Formula 1 drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg took over testing duties before the car’s world premiere in Antibes on 4 June 2026.

Audi has put a number on how quickly its new flagship came together: 405 days from the first sketch to a car that could be driven. The brand has published a making-of video following the Nuvolari programme from early concept work through development and testing to endurance runs with the drivers of the Audi Revolut F1 Team, and on to the world premiere in the South of France.

A team built to move fast

According to Audi, the pace came from how the project was organised rather than from any single technical shortcut. Specialists in design, vehicle technology, aerodynamics and powertrains were placed in one autonomous, focused project team from the outset, with short communication lines and fast decision-making.

“The Audi Nuvolari shows that, when you have the right mindset and close teamwork, you can succeed in delivering rapidly without making any compromises”, says Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella.

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner frames the car as a marker for what the company can do internally. “The Nuvolari project is a striking example of how quickly we at Audi can bring an idea to life — that is ‘Vorsprung durch Technik,'” he says. Audi positions the model as a technological North Star for future developments and as an input to the wider technology portfolio, rather than as a one-off halo car.

Rouven Mohr, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development, describes it as “the fastest and most powerful road car we’ve ever produced”.

Development spread across Europe

The programme moved between Audi sites and test locations across the continent. Initial design work took place in Ingolstadt, cold-weather testing with technology demonstrators in Lapland, lightweight construction work in Neckarsulm, aerodynamic testing in the Ingolstadt wind tunnel, suspension tuning in southern Spain and high-speed testing at Nardò in Italy.

“When the Nuvolari took to the road for the first time, the best part was seeing the expressions on the faces of the people who had developed it,” Döllner recalls. “Seeing something that had existed only as a sketch come to life for the first time was indescribable.”

Formula 1 drivers on final sign-off

Once the drivable prototype was ready, the Audi Revolut F1 drivers stepped in. Gabriel Bortoleto ran the car on the high-speed track at the Nardò Technical Center. “The car is extremely quick, the sound is incredible. I need more laps; I need to get more of this feeling,” he said after his stint.

Nico Hülkenberg tested the car at Neustadt an der Donau. “The acceleration and the full system output of more than 1,000 PS — that’s a real statement,” he said.

The Nuvolari made its public debut on 4 June 2026 at its world premiere in Antibes, followed shortly afterwards by a road appearance at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco.

Design honours already in

The Nuvolari is the first series-production model to carry Audi’s new design language, and it has picked up early recognition: the UK-based CAR Genius Awards named it “Design of the Year”. The jury credited the car with bringing restraint and clarity to the supercar segment while looking both new and recognisably Audi.

What it means

A 405-day run from sketch to prototype is short by the standards of conventional car development, where multi-year cycles are the norm — and the way Audi tells it, the story here is as much about the working method as the car. The brand explicitly presents the Nuvolari team structure as a template, which suggests the approach is intended to spread beyond this one halo model. For buyers, the more immediate signal is at the top of the range: Audi now has a plug-in hybrid flagship with more than 1,000 PS of system output, in a segment where it has not previously competed directly.

Facts: Audi Nuvolari

  • System output: more than 1,000 PS (as quoted by Nico Hülkenberg)
  • Development time: 405 days from first sketch to drivable prototype
  • World premiere: 4 June 2026, Antibes, France
  • Fuel consumption, combined (weighted): 11.3 l/100 km (preliminary)
  • Power consumption, combined (weighted): 7.8 kWh/100 km (preliminary)
  • CO₂ emissions, combined (weighted): 270 g/km (preliminary)
  • CO₂ class, combined (weighted): G (preliminary)
  • Fuel consumption with discharged battery: 14.7 l/100 km (preliminary)
  • Design award: “Design of the Year”, CAR Genius Awards

All consumption and emissions figures are preliminary WLTP values and relate to a near-production prototype. Audi has not stated pricing or an on-sale date in this release; further details are in the company’s press kit, and the documentary is available on YouTube.

Source: www.audi.com