The horsepower war took a bit of a hiatus for a few months after Audi’s B7 platform RS4 went out of production and the debut of the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG – both in 2008 and both to do battle directly with the king of the hill: the BMW M3.

However, Audi is back and packing quite a weapon in their arsenal – a powerful coupe of RS caliber. The all-new 2011 RS5 has finally broken cover after much speculation as to what exactly Audi would put into play in the battle between the mid-size, mini-supercar realm. The M3, for an all-round package has managed to keep atop of the list of these mid-size powerhouses over the last few years by providing the most complete package between handling, power, and luxury accouterments.

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Audi is out the change the game, of course, with the new RS5. So, let’s take a look at the specifications that have been taken from the “accidentally leaked” brochure of the upcoming Ingolstadt warrior. The wide-bodied two door is anticipated to sport a modified version of the V8 of the now defunct RS4. So, the car will be powered by a 4.2L V8 pushing out approximately 450HP – a full 30HP over the B7 RS4 and the V8 model of the R8 sportscar – coincidentally, about 30 horsepower over the 4.0L V8 of the M3.

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This boosted power figure, in part, has been created by the two enormous air boxes sitting just behind the front air dam. In terms of a redline, the RS5 runs out of juice at 8,200 RPMs and is regulated by a dual clutch transmission with 7 forward gears. Rumor has it that the RS5 will not have the option for a traditional 6-speed manual – though this has yet to be confirmed.

The war is on, but will there be a winner takes it all? We’ll find out more after the first test drives.