I dunno. R35.. real drivers? The car does most of the driving. The driver is just an accessory!
Personally I have mixed feelings about both autos and manuals.
FC? My car from auto to manual - my FC
dropped with the manual. I can't beat auto for some reason. It's worth noting though that everything was setup to work with the auto, then the only thing changed was the manual GB.
Drivability? Sometime ago I remember seeing a Porsche that was clutchless but had a 6-speed manual. Or was it 5-speed? Either way it was clutchless. That's awesome man.
And these days autos aren't exactly slow. It's just those archaic 3-speed / 4-speed autos that really kill. Bloody long gear ratios and screaming RPMs when pushed. The newer cars have pretty awesome systems, except for CVT though. I've seen too many break when under pressure until it's no longer funny. That belt inside the GB is just too sensitive imho.
Being an auto driver for over 6 years (before that manual), switching from two hands on the steering to one hand is a little tricky. Whats more you can no longer hold your partners hand if driving manual :P
But one thing I do like about manuals is how controllable the car becomes regardless the circumstance. Autos were/are less controllable and rely heavily on the go-fast pedal and brakes.