Although it's certainly no secret, Car magazine is reporting that Audi engineers are hard at work developing the uber-5. Set to go head-to-head with its Teutonic rivals the M3 and C63; the new RS5 is expected to pack a 450 HP punch when it hits the market in the first half of 2008.

The 4.2-liter V8 currently employed in the RS4 will find a home under the hood of the "5," but with the addition of two small, quick spooling turbos. Max horsepower will obviously see a bump, but the real news is that the projected torque figures are likely to breach the 500 lb.-ft. mark.

Naturally, Quattro will be employed to send all that power to the ground, and with a reworking of the drivetrain, weight distribution is expected to come in around 55:45. Rolling stock will be comprised of 19-inches on all four corners, framing carbon ceramic brakes pulled from the R8. It's also expected that Audi will borrow some of the TT's tech and use magnetic dampers to limit roll.

With its rear-bias power delivery and neutral handling characteristics, the death match between the RS5's cross-country rivals is on. And with a price tag of about £50-large, well-to-do pistonheads will have a serious envious decision on their hands.

[Source: Car]