Just weeks after Ferrari unveiled its controversial £500,000 electric Luce, Audi has unleashed a half-a-million-pound supercar of its own… but it is powered by a burbling V8 engine.

Dubbed the spiritual successor to the R8, it’s a limited-run hybrid beast with almost 1,000bhp and a thrilling soundtrack to boot.

The new Nuvolari – named after famed 1930s racing driver Tazio Nuvolari – can blast from 0 to 62mph in an eye-watering 2.6 seconds and will become the new halo model that takes the German carmaker into the next decade.

More importantly, its svelte design and dramatic styling are more in keeping with supercar traditions, rather than the divisive direction taken by Ferrari for its latest performance model.

Only 499 customers will be lucky enough to own one – and they’ll need to stump up around £500,000.

The lucky few hand-picked by Audi will take delivery in the first half of next year.

The supercar Ferrari should have made! Audi CEO  Gernot Döllner unveils the new Nuvolari with a roaring V8 engine to fill the void left by its Italian rival’s silent Luce

The Nuvolari isn’t a direct replacement for the R8, but it’s the closest model Audi has to rival supercar royalty: Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini.

In the wake of the backlash to Ferrari’s Luce EV, which was lambasted to such an extent that Ferrari shares tumbled eight per cent after the new electric model was revealed, Audi has swooped in with its F1-inspired surprise supercar.

Power is generated by a 788bhp twin-turbocharged, Lamborghini-derived V8 engine, paired with three electric motors.

The combined power output is a thrilling 986bhp.

Each e-motor, two of which sit on the front axle, produces 147bhp and is powered by a 7.3kWh battery.

It has yet to be confirmed what electric range the hybrid will have, but it is likely to be not much more than the sister Lamborghini Temerario’s 10 miles.

Its powertrain, active aerodynamics and Audi Space Frame (ASF) construction are all inspired by Formula 1, the German marque says.

The mid-engined layout lends itself to classic supercar looks, with a powerful low stance and a retractable wing, while the V8 cooling vents, openings and movable aero parts all have a strong F1 influence.

It is the first Audi to follow the brand’s new ‘Concept C’ design language and also debuts Audi’s new trademark Titanium colour.

A key part of the design is its carbon exterior, which enables the Nuvolari to achieve a 217mph top speed.

The low stance and retractable wing grab attention, while the V8-cooling vents and openings and movable aero parts look very F1. It follows Audi’s new ‘Concept C’ design language

The V8 hybrid is also the first use of Audi’s new trademark Titanium colour

Ferrari debuted its Luce EV to much anger. The response saw Ferrari’s share price drop 8%

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An ‘E-Hybrid’ all-electric mode is just one of five drive settings with ‘Normal’, ‘Balanced’, ‘Dynamic’, ‘Dynamic +’ and ‘Track’ also available.

Track mode enables adjustment of traction control to suit driving style and available grip, which Audi promises will allow for ‘transparent, controllable driving behaviour right up to the physical limits’.

There is also ‘Quattro Predictive Ride’ – a form of machine learning – which sees the powertrain management system read road data from detailed sensors and continuously feed it into the control system.

‘With the Audi Nuvolari, our entire team has once again demonstrated its technical expertise, innovative strength, and dedication,’ says Rouven Mohr, Audi CTO.

‘This is reflected not only in the vehicle’s performance and its Formula 1-inspired technologies, but also in the ability to transfer innovations quickly and precisely into a production vehicle,’ he adds.

While you’re unleashing your inner Tazio Nuvolari, the interior should allow you to remain entirely focused on driving.

Only 499 customers will be lucky enough to own one – and they’ll need to stump up around £500,000

The car’s powertrain, construction and aerodynamics have all been filtered down from the company’s new F1 project

The interior is minimal to allow the driver to fully focus on the field and is divided into two tone zones

The cabin has a purposely ‘reduced architecture’, so there’s nothing to distract the driver or obstruct their view – only the essential controls are in sight.

The driver-centric display shows only relevant information; secondary data remains in the background, and both digital displays and physical controls follow this no-nonsense approach.

The interior embodies quiet luxury, with the cabin divided into two zones through dark and light colour tones – a nod to the legendary Auto Union Type C race car and the record-breaking motorsport era of the 1930s.

The front section is deep and dark in tone for concentration, while the rear is lighter.

All materials are of the highest standard, with controls and air vents crafted from anodised aluminium and lightweight seats made from carbon fibre.

One thing’s for certain: the Nuvolari is the car petrolheads will be turning to instead of a zero-emissions Ferrari.