Audi is building a new hybrid supercar. With similar styling to the angry-looking Concept C revealed last year, this new supercar is bigger, badder, and is called the Audi Nuvolari. Named for an iconic Audi racing driver from the same era as the new car's styling, this will be a limited-production hybrid with nearly 1,000 horsepower and a top speed well beyond 200 miles per hour. Audi's Fastest, Most Powerful Car Ever Audi The new car is Audi's technological flagship. "The Audi Nuvolari embodies ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in its most visceral form: progress through technology," said Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella.Mounted behind the driver is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that makes 788 horsepower. The company isn't describing it as the same high-revving V8 that's in the Lamborghini Temerario, but since this one also hits 10,000 rpm, it's a safe bet they're all but identical. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner recently told CarBuzz that he was a big fan of the Temerario's V8, describing it as an "outstanding engine" while saying an Audi supercar with the motor was a "good idea." Now we know he was planning it all along.Because 788 hp isn't enough, the Nuvolari has two oil-cooled axial flux motors at the front wheels and a third motor between the engine and transmission, with each of the three delivering 147 hp. The front motors deliver 1,586 pound-feet of torque on their own, and the gas engine makes 538 lb-ft. This, too, is basically the Temerario's hybrid setup.Total power output is 1,001 PS, or 987 in American horsepower, making it the most powerful production Audi ever built. It can run zero to 62 mph in 2.6 seconds, hit 120 in 6.8, and run to a top speed in excess of 217 miles per hour, making it the fastest Audi as well.The front drive units contribute to a new level of quattro control. Variable torque vectoring for all four corners combines with the new control system for grip and stability in all road conditions. It has four modes, including a short-distance EV mode and a full-on Track Mode.The track version lets you dial up wet and dry programs. It also allows you to vary the traction control from race-ready to completely off in steps to make your track day quicker or more enjoyable or both."The Audi Nuvolari looks really cool and unique. For me, what truly counts is the overall package — that is, how the car feels, how precisely it responds, and how well performance and drivability complement each other."Nico Hülkenberg, Audi Revolut F1 Team driver Aluminum Chassis, Carbon Panels, F1 Aero Audi Nuvolari uses an aluminum chassis with carbon fiber body panels - which differs from the Temerario's carbon fiber monocoque. Audi's F1 team helped with the development, including manufacturing of the panels. The F1 team also helped develop the aerodynamics package that lets it go so fast, and F1 team drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto were involved in the test-driving.It has active aerodynamic elements including front intakes and a three-position deployable rear wing. The rear wing operates automatically in most modes, dropping for top speed and working like an air brake under braking and in corners. But it has a steering wheel button for an F1-like DRS mode for temporary max speed runs.Audi's brake-by-wire system uses new Audi Ceramic Pro brakes. Ten-piston calipers up front on 16.5-inch rotors and four-pot rears with only slightly smaller rotors help do the clamping and stop the car over and over again, even on track. They have their own internal cooling, but the car can stop at 0.3g without them using regenerative braking.Inside, the Nuvolari has color accents and graphics that call back to the company's 1930s Type C race cars. It's meant to be functional and driver-focused. The minimalism and lack of curves are details that will probably continue into future Audi models. Named For A Legendary Audi Driver Audi Tazio Nuvolari started racing cars in 1925, winning races and championships for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Maserati before switching to Auto Union in 1937. Auto Union was one of the predecessors of modern Audi, and he stayed with the team until 1939. The yellow and black colors in the teasers are a nod to the sweater he wore during every race.Nuvolari was one of the all-time greats. He's a driver Ferdinand Porsche once called "the greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future." And this isn't the first time Audi used his name on a vehicle. The Nuvolari concept car in 2003 looked like a scaled-up Audi TT with a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V10 under the ultra-long hood. The company also offered a limited-edition TT Nuvolari exclusively for the Italian market back in 2014. It was strictly an appearance package.Audi said it plans to build just 499 units of this R8 replacement. It didn't hint at pricing, but it is going to be expensive. The Nuvolari, or at least a version of it, is headed to the US as well. Audi USA said that specs and information could vary from this European release, but it will send out more info in the future. If you want one, you should probably already be on the horn to your Audi dealer. CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters AudiFor enthusiasts of all things automotive, a new 1,000-hp supercar is always a big deal. This one is significant beyond that, though, for a couple of reasons. First off, it rekindles the Audi/Lamborghini connection that was forged with the R8 – a car that, while sharing Lambo bones, still retained an Audi personality. And it became a legend. Only this time, the Audi is punching above the Lamborghini - the Nuvolari equals the power output of the big, bad V12 Revuelto, which is something Audi's never done before.Second, and arguably more important for Audi right now, it’s a much-needed halo car that answers to both the past and the future. Instead of dishing up an ultra-powerful EV, Audi is giving petrolheads the high-revving V8 they want with electric power that, like it or not, will define future performance. Yes, it will be ultra-exclusive and, most likely, ultra-expensive. But it feels like the right move for Audi at just the right time.audi-nuvolari-exterior-11