405 days

405 days. That’s all it took for Audi to take the Nuvolari from first sketch to a fully drivable prototype.

Developed by a tightly focused team spanning design, engineering, aerodynamics and powertrain development, the project represents a new, faster way of working for the brand. The journey took the car from Ingolstadt to Lapland, Spain and Italy, with wind tunnel testing, high-speed runs at Nardò and final development input from Audi’s Formula 1 drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg.

With more than 1,000 bhp on tap, the Nuvolari is claimed to be the fastest and most powerful road car Audi has ever produced. But its significance goes beyond outright performance. As the first production car to showcase Audi’s new design language, it’s intended as a technological and stylistic signpost for what comes next.

After making its debut in Antibes before taking to the streets of Monaco, the Nuvolari has already picked up the UK-based CAR Genius Award for Design of the Year — recognition for a supercar that takes a more restrained, distinctly Audi approach to the genre.

Photos © Audi