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The auto hooks up and shifts well enough to shave a couple of tenths off of times to sixty compared to the manual, which is only (C&D March) one-tenth faster through the quarter. However, if you think you can feel a couple of tenths of a second, remember that if you do in fact drive it balls-out frequently enough to see the difference, you'll be buying clutches every time you get groceries.
Used to be a lot more advantages to buying a stick in a sports car, and in several cases there still is. I don't think the SS is going to be one of them; the auto gives you a newer engine and throws in DOD on top of a solid, high-performing, better-geared, six-speed transmission. It's not like your other choice is a rock-crusher anyhow, the damn manual is still slower in the hands of people who tease the tree for a living. Personally, I went auto because I got spoiled with a string of decent manumatics and I just don't get any pleasure out of rowing it around a parking lot feathering 420 ft.-lbs. of torque, dealing with that goddamned first-to-fourth crap, or even enduring the occasional lethal takeoff when I'm a bit fatigued and (though I can't imagine the scenario) not feeling like bawling the tires for a block leaving the parking garage. Besides, all that gets worse proportionally the more you build, tune and bolt-on; an auto just winks at you and handles business. That rear end'll probably handle 800 without balking, and if I start to think I need more than that, hopefully someone will stop me.
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