Audi Nuvolari Makes Its North American Debut at Monterey Car Week

Audi Nuvolari, outdoor dynamic shot, exterior, three-quarter-front-view, U.S. road debut around Monterey. Image No. A264357. © AUDI AG. Editorial use free of charge. Source: https://www.audi.com/en/photos/detail/audi-nuvolari-in-the-u-s-133547

Audi’s first halo supercar has now been shown on this side of the Atlantic. The Nuvolari — 1,001 PS, limited to 499 cars, and the fastest production Audi on paper — made its North American debut at Monterey Car Week and covered its first public-road miles around Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Audi Nuvolari, outdoor static shot, exterior, three-quarter-front-view. Image No. A264355. © AUDI AG. Editorial use free of charge. Source: https://www.audi.com/en/photos/detail/audi-nuvolari-in-the-u-s-133545
Audi Nuvolari, outdoor static shot, exterior, three-quarter-front-view. Image No. A264355. © AUDI AG. Editorial use free of charge. Source: https://www.audi.com/en/photos/detail/audi-nuvolari-in-the-u-s-133545

The Monterey appearance followed the Q9’s New York world premiere. Audi is treating the two launches as a paired statement about the U.S. market: a three-row flagship SUV built around American use, and a carbon-bodied hybrid supercar aimed at collectors.

Where it showed, and where it drove

The car sat at The Quail and on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, with additional appointments for collectors and potential buyers during the week. After a track debut at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, Monterey was the first time the Nuvolari turned a wheel on American pavement.

Audi Nuvolari, outdoor static shot, exterior, side-view. Image No. A264356. © AUDI AG. Editorial use free of charge. Source: https://www.audi.com/en/photos/detail/audi-nuvolari-in-the-u-s-133546
Audi Nuvolari, outdoor static shot, exterior, side-view. Image No. A264356. © AUDI AG. Editorial use free of charge. Source: https://www.audi.com/en/photos/detail/audi-nuvolari-in-the-u-s-133546

Vito Paladino, president of Audi of America, called Monterey Car Week the right stage for the brand’s first halo supercar. CEO Gernot Döllner described the Nuvolari as a technology and design flagship for Audi’s renewal, with the Q9 aimed more directly at U.S. customer needs.

The hardware, in brief

The hybrid system uses four drive units: a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 rated at 588 kW (800 hp) and three axial-flux electric motors at 110 kW each. Combined output is 736 kW / 1,001 PS. The lithium-ion battery is 7.3 kWh gross. Audi quotes 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.6 seconds, 0–200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.8 seconds, and a top speed above 350 km/h (217 mph).

Audi Nuvolari, outdoor static shot, interior, cockpit with steering wheel. Image No. A264354. © AUDI AG. Editorial use free of charge. Source: https://www.audi.com/en/photos/detail/audi-nuvolari-in-the-u-s-133544
Audi Nuvolari, outdoor static shot, interior, cockpit with steering wheel. Image No. A264354. © AUDI AG. Editorial use free of charge. Source: https://www.audi.com/en/photos/detail/audi-nuvolari-in-the-u-s-133544

The V8 is rated at 730 Nm and revs to 10,000 rpm. The structure is a new Audi Space Frame with a carbon exterior, plus active aerodynamics and quattro predictive ride. Preliminary European figures: 11.3 L/100 km and 7.8 kWh/100 km combined (weighted), 270 g/km CO2.

How many, and when

Production is capped at 499 units worldwide. Official European presales are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026; first deliveries are planned for the first half of 2027. Audi has not published a U.S. price or a North American allocation in the Monterey release.

For anyone following the four rings through a two-year SUV and EV product push, Monterey was the first chance to see the halo car in person. The next dates that matter are the Q4 2026 order window and 2027 deliveries.

Source: Audi, “Audi Nuvolari debuts in the U.S.” (August 25, 2026).

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