I've been read a some posts regarding manual transmissions. It seems that while manual trans are alive and well in Europe and in other parts of the world, they are becoming a rarity here in the states. I just ordered a 2020 JCW 2drHT, and was surprised to see that manual was no longer an option. i currently have a BWM 440xi, which did offer a Man Trans when I bought it (2018), but it is no longer available with new models. You can't get a 3 series with man trans either. Mercedes has also discontinued Man Trans on most (maybe all) models. While Man Trans sure provides more fun, it's hard to compete with today's awesome auto trans, with their lightening fast gear changes and paddle shifters.

 

This topic and trend in the US makes me incredibly sad. I was fortunate to be able to get a 2019 manual MCS, but there weren't very many choices when I was shopping (end of the model year).

I actually just read an article that basically was "why does the US love automatics while Europe loves manuals". It cited numbers like 2% of cars bought in the US were manual transmissions. And their general statement was that Europeans enjoy driving more and learn on manuals while US drivers multitask and do other random crap while driving.