I'm going to ignore all the V6 vs V8 banter and answer your questions on the V6 manual....
First a little background on me so you know where my opinions are coming from...
1. With the exception of 2 vehicles (don't ask), every car or truck I've owned has had a V8 under the hood. This includes a '55 Chevy Bel Air and a '56 Chevy 210 Wagon with mild 350CI V8s, '97 C1500 truck (255hp/330lb-ft), '04 Expedition (260hp/350lb-ft). My dad had a '96 Impala SS (260hp/350lb-ft) for a number of years that I was able to drive on rare occasions.
2. I typically drive about 50 miles a day in moderate/slow traffic that covers backroads, freeways, and city streets.
First impressions of the V6...
- Oh my god, what the hell is wrong with the exhaust on this thing...it sounds horrible.
Oh well, I can fix that later (and I have - Thank you SOLO!).
- Acceleration is quick enough to run into the guy in front of you or hit the posted speed limit quickly. Passing people is a non-event, downshift and go, no problem there.
- Cornering/handling is great - wife hates that I take the 90 degree turn onto our road at 20-25mph, the kids think it's fun though. Car is ultra stable at freeway speeds when quickly changing lanes or taking curves rated at 35mph at the posted speed of 60mph. Get the RS package for the tires alone!
- Braking is downright scary - always check the review mirror before slamming on the brakes so you know what is going to hit you because nothing I've ever owned stops this quick.
- Manual transmission/clutch - 1st to 2nd is a bit stiff in the shifter but clutch action is smooth and easy. Even my wife had no trouble learning to drive the car after having driven automatics for the past 19 years.
Seriously though, with nearly 12,000 miles on the odometer and 8.5 months of seat time, I see absolutely no reason for me to get an SS.
The V6 is quicker than people would think and has never left me second guessing my choice over the V8. Sure, people will say that the V8 is faster (well, duh! of course it is) and it comes with Brembo brakes (from MotorTrend testing...V6 and V8 stopped with 2 feet of each other - 105-107ft). But, in all honesty, I have no use for more power or more expensive brakes that fade less after repeated high-speed stops. My car is not a track car and never will be. As it is, on public roads, I can't take advantage of all the acceleration / handling / braking performance that the V6 has so what in the hell am I going to do with a V8 besides get to 60mph a short 1.3 seconds faster on the freeway onramp?
I look at the issues some, probably a disproportionaly small number, of the SS owners have had like: clutches sticking to the floor, lifters needing to be replaced due to oil burning, sqeaky Brembo brakes with oddly attached counter-weights, etc... and I look at my V6 with none of those issues. I'm perfectly happy with my Camaro and would make the same choice today if I had to go through the buying process all over.
As for the V8 vs. V6 stuff - some people want or need or must have a V8 in a Camaro, others will find the V6 suits them just fine, like it does me.
Good luck with your choice. All I can say is test drive them all (V6/V8, Auto/Manual), look at how you'll use the car and how much you can afford for the initial purchase and continued use/maintenance...and...then pick what is right for you. No matter which model/motor/trim you choose, there is no wrong choice - every 5th Gen Camaro is awesome!