Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella put the aim in one line when the Nuvolari broke cover: “For us, technology never exists for its own sake. It is always a means to an end. And that end must be emotion.” CEO Gernot Döllner used the same register for the 1,001 PS hybrid: it “brings pure emotion and performance to the road.”
The first-half 2026 numbers are more about priorities. Revenue was 29.2 billion euros. Operating profit was 1.1 billion euros, a 3.8 percent margin. Audi brand deliveries were 727,245, down just over 7 percent, with China and U.S. tariffs named as the main weights. CFO Jürgen Rittersberger: “With greater efficiency, clear priorities, and a sharp focus on our strategic goals, we are making Audi more competitive.” He added that cost discipline is working, “but they are not enough.”
Döllner’s H1 remarks hold both threads. He listed the Brussels plant closure alongside Formula 1, a streamlined design, and the China-only AUDI sister brand. The Q9, he said, was developed for U.S. demands on space and safety. The 2026 forecast was cut to 58–63 billion euros of revenue and a 5–7 percent operating margin. Emotion is official policy. So is a tighter year.
Sources: Döllner on the Nuvolari and H1 2026 results.