AudiA3

How many gears are enough? While it seems that six-speed automatic transmissions are just now becoming the de facto standard in most circles, Mercedes-Benz has been working with seven ratios for a while now and Lexus did its German rival one better by designing its own eight-speed. Not content to sit idle while other marques earn bragging rights, Audi and BMW have recently utilized eight-speeders of their own for their latest flagship models.

Audi's Multi-Media Interface, which is arguably the best of the various all-in-one graphical user interface systems favored, has just got better.

According to Audi, resolution on the system's 6.5-inch screen is getting bumped up to 800 x 480, route calculation will happen faster with a 600 MHz processor, and you can scroll along the route - not just vertically and horizontally - and get speed limit data on highways.

Additionally, the system will also finally charge external MP3 players that are plugged in to the system, song titles will be displayed,

Click above for a high resolution gallery of the S3 Sportback

It's no secret that the Mercedes-Benz A-class hasn't been a resounding success and that the automaker is looking to revamp its entry-level line-up to better compete with rivals. According to Autocar, M-B boss Dieter "Dr. Z" Zetsche has green-lighted a new model that's taking aim at the BMW 1-series and Audi A3, and will accompany the rest of the revised A-class models when it debuts in 2011.