Audi RS5 Coupe Spied on the Road, gets V8 Engine and Wider Bodywork

These are the latest spy photos of Audi's hotly-anticipated RS5 Coupe that is expected to celebrate its world premiere at the next Geneva Salon in March of 2010. Compared to the S5 upon which it is based, the flat-black prototype you see pictured here is distinguished by a new front bumper with larger and more pronounced side air inlets, the honeycomb grille and the single-outlet tailpipes that replace the S5's two smaller outlets on each side of the rear bumper.

Furthermore, the black panels on the front and rear fenders of the test car clearly indicate that the RS5 will get a wider body with flared arches harking back to the original Quattro coupe as well as to the current RS6 saloon and Avant models.

The spy photos also suggest that the RS5 may get a deployable rear spoiler located at the tip of the boot.

There's no official word about what's hidden under the hood, but all evidence (and rumors) points to a modified version of the outgoing RS4's naturally-aspirated 4.2-liter V8 engine tweaked to produced somewhere north of 450 horsepower that should give the BMW M3 Coupe a run for its money.

The V8 will be teamed to six-speed manual transmission or optionally to a seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch semi-automatic transmission while it goes without saying that the RS5 will be fitted with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system.

Other upgrades will include wider tracks, specially tuned suspension and steering system plus uprated drilled disc brakes.