Audi is considering to launch 8-speed automatic transmission in its most of models, currently they were thinking for Audi A8 which they launch in 2011. If this is true then most of the competitors in automotive business will offer competitive gearbox in their cars also, as this will ultimately become a high efficiency norm.
It is believed that the 8-speed tiptronic gearbox is approx 15% more fuel efficient than the earlier 5-speed automatic gearbox. The higher selection of gears allows for more uses of the engine’s power band (the range of operating speeds under which the engine is able to operate efficiently) allowing for higher fuel economy and power output.
While manual transmissions generally offer better fuel economy than automatic torque-converter transmissions, the disproportion has been somewhat offset with the introduction of locking torque converters on automatic transmissions, there’s no denying that the greater number of gears, the better the fuel economy. It also believed that the 8-speed automatic transmission completely controlled through electronic circuit, with an selector lever & rocker switches at steering wheel.
Moreover the moral of the story is that if Audi will supply 8-speed automatic transmission in its most models then ultimately it may raise the prices of their models. A3 may also get same transmission being the first model of Audi.