Opti said:torque converter autos have made some huge improvements recently. I have no qualms with automatics. I prefer them in my trucks and drag cars. Id probably never want one in a toy that wasnt a drag car.
This, 100%. Automatics are faster and more reliable but manuals are more entertaining.
I think pretty much every fun car could be improved with a manual transmission. I also like the simplicity and longevity of a nice manual.
I think any engine over 3l or so is dull enough to be better off with an automatic, though. (Big engines like that are not fun to me, so they have no place in a fun car regardless)
I have 2000, maybe 3000mi on the trans I rebuilt for my 100hp car, the car that I want to keep at 100hp so it does not shred drivetrain parts, and it now makes the most alarming noises in 2nd and 3rd gear when under sufficient load. Combine that with its evil twin's appetite for transmissions that had them requiring a change more often than the oil filter on the engine, and I'm going to have to politely disagree that manual transmissions are superior for longevity...