lack of a manual transmission
But see, thats a key ingredient of what makes a fun car for a lot of people. Track times are for benchracers and people getting paid real money to win races. It sells magazines and fuels internet arguments and is worth little else.
And if someone wants to pay me real money to win them some races, sure, hook me up with a dual clutch paddle shifter. But when I'm spending my own money for what is essentially a toy, whose sole purpose is fun, I don't care how "technically superior" something else might be. You could cook me the most technically excellent chicken on the planet, but if I wanted steak...
In the words of my motorcycling mentor, you gotta buy what gets your... hard. Especially when it comes to toys.
