Sorry SA, The Audi Nuvolari isn’t coming after all
If there’s one car we’ve been looking forward to, it has to be Audi’s recently revealed Nuvolari, which, based on initial impressions at least, was supposed to replace the now-discontinued R8.
While the Nuvolari promises insane performance, Audi says it’s not planned for the South African market. Audi SA’s CEO, Markus Schuster, shared the rather sad news during the third-gen Q3 launch in Cape Town. Why? You ask. Well, Audi SA says the Nuvolari is produced only in left-hand configuration, and only 499 units will be produced for select markets.
With a hybridised 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 from the Lamborghini Temerario, the Nuvolari’s performance and power figures are insane. It produces 736kW and 730Nm for a 0-100km/h sprint in 2.6 seconds before hitting the top speed at 350km/h. Audi hasn’t confirmed which gearbox it will be paired with, but it could well use the Temerario’s 8-speed DCT.
The truth is, we have seen this playbook before. If you recall, South Africa only received the 6th-generation Mustang in 2015. This was the first time in the production Mustang’s life that it was made available in right-hand-drive configuration. The world keeps changing, and who knows… If SA can show that it has the appetite for such an insane product, Audi might do something about it.
For now, we might have to rely on the RS e-Tron GT Performance, RS5 sedan and Avant, and RS3 Competition Limited planned for SA in the coming months to satisfy the speed appetite for local Audi speed loyalists. Even with these coming our way, we don’t think there would ever be a car enough to fill the void left by the formidable R8. However, the Nuvolari, with a V8 underneath, might as well be the supercar the world has been waiting for. We just wish it was planned to SA…
