Audi Confirms 182 of 499 Nuvolaris for the US at $700,000 to Start

Audi of America confirmed on November 11 that 182 of the 499 Nuvolaris it will build worldwide are allocated to the United States, at a starting MSRP of $700,000 before destination, taxes and dealer charges. Orders are open at authorized Audi dealers now, and customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2028.

That is 36 percent of a global production run going to one market, which is a larger US share than a European halo car usually gets. The powertrain is a biturbo V8 making 789 hp between 9,000 and 9,750 rpm, plus three axial flux motors contributing 198 hp, for an estimated 987 hp combined. Audi quotes 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 2.5 seconds and a top speed above 217 mph, and labels the output figures preliminary and subject to change.

The structural details matter more for anyone who will eventually have to move one. The car uses a new Audi Space Frame with nearly every exterior panel made from carbon-fiber reinforced polymer, and it carries a three-stage deployable rear wing, a drag reduction system, and active aerodynamic elements rated at more than 400 kg, about 880 pounds, of downforce. Audi has not published a curb weight or a ground clearance figure.

The transport angle

Audi sells through more than 300 independent US dealers. Spread 182 cars across that network and most dealers get none, so buyers will take the allocation wherever it sits rather than at the store down the road. That makes the first leg of a Nuvolari's life a single-car enclosed move from a dealership that may be several states away, and it is a decision being made at order time in 2026, not at delivery in 2028. Ask where the allocation physically lands before you sign, because the answer sets the lane.

Carbon panels change how the car is secured. With nearly the whole exterior in CFRP, straps go over the tires and into the wheels, never into body structure that was laid up for aerodynamic loads rather than point loads. Our soft versus hard tie-downs guide covers the difference, and it is worth confirming that whoever loads the car has handled a full-carbon body before.

Active aero adds a second check. A three-stage deployable wing has a stowed position, and the only height figure that means anything under a trailer roof is the one measured with the wing down and the suspension at its transport setting. Our exotic prep guide covers what to confirm before a car is measured for a slot.

Until Audi publishes clearance and weight, the loading plan cannot be set from spec. The nearest reference point in the Audi range is the R8, and the figures on our R8 page put it at 4.5 inches of clearance and 3,737 pounds, which is already past the point where normal steel ramps work. Assume a liftgate or a low-angle load and revise when the real numbers land.

Declared value is the part owners skip. A $700,000 base price excludes destination and taxes, and the options list runs to more than 50 gloss paints, over 10 matte finishes, 33 leather colors and open-ended Audi Exclusive work. No specified Nuvolari will be a $700,000 car. The insurance tier shown on our Audi make page is built around the current showroom range and is not the right number here. Carriers in our broker network work to a declared value and a per-vehicle cargo limit, and the two have to be checked against each other in writing before dispatch, which our enclosed shipping insurance guide explains.

What to do about it

Treat the allocation and the transport as one decision. If the car is coming from a dealer 1,500 miles away, that cost belongs in the purchase math now, not as a surprise in 2028.

Ask the selling dealer who handles the inbound move from the port and whether the car will have been loaded and unloaded before you see it. A car that has already made two enclosed trips should have a condition report from each.

Book the final leg as a single-car, top-load enclosed run with a declared value set at the as-specified figure, not the base price. Our cost model puts enclosed moves for an R8-class Audi at $2.10 to $3.60 a mile depending on lane and season, which is reporting on our own figures rather than a quote, and a car of this value sits above that band. The exotic shipping page sets out what the enclosed tier covers.