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The AE Quote of the Century: Everybody loves The High-Octane Truth. Until they don't. -WG
(Audi images)
Audi has unveiled its first supercar with a high-performance hybrid powertrain. The Audi Nuvolari will be the fastest and most powerful production vehicle in the brand’s history. The Nuvolari has 1,001 PS and a top speed of more than 350 km/h. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and reaches 200 km/h in 6.8 seconds. These figures "are enabled by a range of innovations inspired by Formula 1, including the high-performance hybrid powertrain, quattro predictive ride, active aerodynamics, and the new Audi Space Frame (ASF) with carbon exterior," according to Audi PR minions.
“With the Audi Nuvolari, we are accelerating technological progress,” says Gernot Döllner, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “It shows what is possible when the focus is on technology, performance, and execution through teamwork — and when we achieve progress together.”
As the first production vehicle that follows Audi’s new design philosophy, the Nuvolari will combine the high-performance character of a supercar with a distinctive design. Taut surfaces, seamlessly integrated technology, and intelligent aerodynamics define its appearance. The mid‑engine layout defines the proportions, and the exterior is characterized by Audi’s new signature color Titanium, a paint also used on the Audi Concept C and the Audi Formula 1 race car.
The Audi Nuvolari is powered by a hybrid high-performance powertrain with a maximum system output of 736 kW (1,001 PS). It combines a 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine delivering 588 kW (800HP) with three axial flux electric motors, each producing 110 kW. The lithium-ion battery has a gross capacity of 7.3 kWh. The combustion engine delivers a maximum torque of 730 Nm and reaches up to 10,000 rpm. Two oil-cooled axial flux electric motors at the front axle deliver up to 2,150 Nm of torque. As an integral part of the quattro system, they support variable torque distribution. A third electric motor between the V8 mid-engine and the transmission completes the drive concept.
“With the Audi Nuvolari, our entire team has once again demonstrated its technical expertise, innovative strength, and dedication,” says Rouven Mohr, CTO of Audi. “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.”
Deliveries of the supercar, limited to 499 units, will begin in the first half of 2027. The Audi Nuvolari shown is a European Pre-Production Prototype. The arrival of the Audi Nuvolari to the U.S. is subject to a future announcement and will vary from what is detailed in the global release. Final market-specific information, including performance specifications, pricing and EPA-rated mileage/emissions figures for the Audi Nuvolari will be subject to a future announcement and may vary from the information provided in this press announcement.
(GM Design images)
General Motors officially opened its new advanced design studio in Pasadena, California. The new campus marks the latest chapter in nearly 40 years of GM Design in Southern California, and significantly expands GM's Los Angeles-area footprint into a modern, fully integrated facility purpose-built for the next generation of concept and mobility work. The studio opening was accompanied by the reveal of the GMC HUMMER X, "a pickup and SUV concept that reimagines what a vehicle can mean to the people who drive it," according to GM PR minions. A collaboration between GM Advanced Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing and the Advanced Design Pasadena studio, the HUMMER X concept, while not intended for production, is a testbed for new technologies. The HUMMER X concept is envisioned to be a capable rock crawler designed and engineered as a modular platform, and is built around four pillars: reconfigurability, capability, community and sustainability. "Every great concept starts with a belief. Ours was this: the courage to get lost leads us to new discoveries," said Brian Smith, outgoing GM Advanced Design Pasadena studio director. "The team rallied around a working mantra of 'Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints,' and let that philosophy guide every decision. That's not just a tagline – it's the design brief."
HELL FREEZES OVER. AND THE FERRARI DREAM DIES.
By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. We all knew this was coming. Ferrari's first EV - called the Luce (Italian for light if you hadn't already figured that out) has finally made its official debut in Europe. “We took the deliberate decision to lead what comes next,” Ferrari Executive Chairman John Elkann said at the Luce’s May 25 unveiling in Rome, according to Automotive News Europe. The date and place of the Luce’s unveiling were chosen deliberately, apparently, in order to commemorate Ferrari’s first race victory, which was on May 25, 1947, with the 125S (a 1.5-liter, V-12 powered barchetta) on the Caracalla road course in the outskirts of Rome. Not that this new vehicle has even a whiff of relevance to the brand's historical legacy.
While other exotic manufacturers, like Lamborghini, have shelved their plans to offer EVs, Ferrari has gone ahead with their plans. And I really wish they hadn't, because after releasing a series of spectacular cars in the last half-decade, this "thing" is a flat-out abomination and has no connection to any Ferrari built before. Oh, I get it, I really do. Ferrari operatives are trying to project the brand into The Future by breaking barriers, stomping on traditions, ignoring legacies. And in order to do that, they've ignored every aspect of its design heritage that they have deemed worthy of forgetting about.
While other exotic manufacturers, like Lamborghini, have shelved their plans to offer EVs, Ferrari has gone ahead with their plans. And I really wish they hadn't, because after releasing a series of spectacular cars in the last half-decade, this "thing" is a flat-out abomination and has no connection to any Ferrari built before. Oh, I get it, I really do. Ferrari operatives are trying to project the brand into The Future by breaking barriers, stomping on traditions, ignoring legacies. And in order to do that, they've ignored every aspect of its design heritage that they have deemed worthy of forgetting about.
In order to reach whatever design plateau it was allegedly trying to achieve, Ferrari operatives selected Jony Ive from LoveFrom, the design collective founded by Ive (the former Apple design chief and the mind behind the iPhone) and "acclaimed" (my quotes) designer Marc Newson. (For the record, Newson is the most overrated designer extant, but that's another column.) What this tedious duo has wrought with the Luce is such a stunning display of arrogance and tone-deafness that it almost defies comprehension.
And this is when we pause to go over the standard bon mots that are sure to be lobbed from Ive and Newson, as in, "some people just can't cope with change" or the other favorite phrase aimed at civilians by designers, "you're just not qualified to understand the concept of design reach."
Right.
I'll tell, you what I am qualified to understand, however, how in the hell can a company like Ferrari talk themselves into letting a couple of glorified package designers loose to come up with this? Which, for all intents and purposes would make a perfectly presentable design for the next-gen Kia K5? And Elkann's quote personifies an arrogant CEO who is completely out of touch with reality. The "deliberate decision to lead what comes next"? As if.
The only place this design abomination will lead Ferrari is straight to Hell. Which has now officially frozen over, as The Last Great Car Company worth a shit has sold its soul to a Devil that is scratching his head, flabbergasted at the gross incompetence.
There's more of course, like this quote from Ferrari Chief Marketing and Product Officer Enrico Galliera: “The beauty of the electric powertrain is that without the gearbox in the rear we were able to add a fifth passenger.” No shit. Fucking amazing.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, the Luce has 1,050HP with 990 newton meters of torque; 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds; a top speed of 193 mph; an expected range of 329 miles (subject to, "yeah, we'll see"; and a curb weight of 4,982 pounds. And, if you're hell-bent on being The Biggest Tool in the Shed to get your hands on one, you can expect to shell out at least $650,000 for the "privilege."
Oh, and in case you're wondering, the Luce has 1,050HP with 990 newton meters of torque; 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds; a top speed of 193 mph; an expected range of 329 miles (subject to, "yeah, we'll see"; and a curb weight of 4,982 pounds. And, if you're hell-bent on being The Biggest Tool in the Shed to get your hands on one, you can expect to shell out at least $650,000 for the "privilege."
Automotive legacies are achieved over time. It takes decades to solidify a brand's image. Even some of the best (like Porsche) have lost their way and damaged their legacies and reputation because of stupid mistakes. Ferrari was supposed to be above all of that, an impeccable automotive touchstone immune to stupidity and hubris. And make no mistake, the Luce is a monumental blunder, a capitulation by a brand to the siren's call of mediocrity, and the Ultimate Answer to the Question that No One in His or Her Right Mind Was Even Thinking About Asking.
What a disaster.
And that's the High-Octane Truth on this Memorial Day.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week, we're re-running our video feature of a memorable conversation with Jim Hall on the American Inventors Interview Series. Watch it here. -PMD
The AE Song of the Week:
(Ferrari images)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week, we're re-running our video feature of a memorable conversation with Jim Hall on the American Inventors Interview Series. Watch it here. -PMD
The AE Song of the Week:
Thinkin' 'bout the times you drove in my car
Thinkin' that I might have drove you too far
And I'm thinkin' 'bout the love that you laid on my table
Thinkin' that I might have drove you too far
And I'm thinkin' 'bout the love that you laid on my table
I told you not to wander 'round in the dark
I told you 'bout the swans, that they live in the park
Then I told you 'bout our kid, now he's married to Mabel
I told you 'bout the swans, that they live in the park
Then I told you 'bout our kid, now he's married to Mabel
Yes, I told you that the light goes up and down
Don't you notice how the wheel goes 'round?
And you better pick yourself up from the ground
Before they bring the curtain down
Yes, before they bring the curtain down, ooh
Don't you notice how the wheel goes 'round?
And you better pick yourself up from the ground
Before they bring the curtain down
Yes, before they bring the curtain down, ooh
Get up, get up, get up (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Talkin' 'bout a girl that looks quite like you
She didn't have the time to wait in the queue
She cried away her life since she fell out the cradle
She didn't have the time to wait in the queue
She cried away her life since she fell out the cradle
"Badge" by Cream, from the album "Goodbye" (1969).* Written by Eric Patrick Clapton and George Harrison. Badge lyrics © BMG Rights Management, ONErpm, Warner Chappell Music, Inc. Lyric source: LyricFind. Listen to it here.
*This was written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison. Harrison, who is listed on the album as "L'Angelo Misterioso," also played rhythm guitar on this, since Cream had only one guitarist: Clapton. The title has nothing to do with the song. Clapton saw Harrison's notes for this, and misread "Bridge" as "Badge." He thought this is what Harrison named the song, so they used it for the title. The lyrics were not intended to make sense. Many of them were taken from drunken conversations Harrison had with Ringo Starr. Cream recorded this shortly before their final shows: two sold-out performances at Royal Albert Hall in England. It was one of three studio recordings on their last album; the rest of it was filled with live cuts. Cream had broken up by the time this was released. Clapton was already working with his new group, Blind Faith. This is one of the shortest Cream songs. They were known for their long, improvised jams. The Wheels Of Fire live album, for example, contains only four songs. This is one of the few Cream songs that Eric Clapton sang lead on, as Jack Bruce usually handled vocals. Also, this is the only Cream song to include five people: in addition to Clapton, Bruce, Baker and Harrison, Felix Pappalardi played the piano and Mellotron. Pappalardi was the producer of three of Cream's four albums (Disreali Gears, Wheels Of Fire, and Goodbye) and contributed by playing a wide variety of instruments on those albums. Clapton ran his guitar through a Leslie speaker cabinet to create a swirling sound. The Leslie Cabinet contained a rotating paddle and was designed for organs, but many musicians tried it with guitars. Jimmy Page used the technique on "Good Times, Bad Times." The song titles were written on tombstones inside the album, leaving little doubt that it was their last. Clapton had played on Harrison's album Wonderwall the previous year, and on The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," which was released the same month as this. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
*This was written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison. Harrison, who is listed on the album as "L'Angelo Misterioso," also played rhythm guitar on this, since Cream had only one guitarist: Clapton. The title has nothing to do with the song. Clapton saw Harrison's notes for this, and misread "Bridge" as "Badge." He thought this is what Harrison named the song, so they used it for the title. The lyrics were not intended to make sense. Many of them were taken from drunken conversations Harrison had with Ringo Starr. Cream recorded this shortly before their final shows: two sold-out performances at Royal Albert Hall in England. It was one of three studio recordings on their last album; the rest of it was filled with live cuts. Cream had broken up by the time this was released. Clapton was already working with his new group, Blind Faith. This is one of the shortest Cream songs. They were known for their long, improvised jams. The Wheels Of Fire live album, for example, contains only four songs. This is one of the few Cream songs that Eric Clapton sang lead on, as Jack Bruce usually handled vocals. Also, this is the only Cream song to include five people: in addition to Clapton, Bruce, Baker and Harrison, Felix Pappalardi played the piano and Mellotron. Pappalardi was the producer of three of Cream's four albums (Disreali Gears, Wheels Of Fire, and Goodbye) and contributed by playing a wide variety of instruments on those albums. Clapton ran his guitar through a Leslie speaker cabinet to create a swirling sound. The Leslie Cabinet contained a rotating paddle and was designed for organs, but many musicians tried it with guitars. Jimmy Page used the technique on "Good Times, Bad Times." The song titles were written on tombstones inside the album, leaving little doubt that it was their last. Clapton had played on Harrison's album Wonderwall the previous year, and on The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," which was released the same month as this. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG