I'm getting close to 62 now and my preference for sports cars has not changed since I was 21 years old when I bought my first (used) "muscle car", a 1970 396 big-block Nova SS. I still compare every sports car I drive to that first one. My 2014 Camaro SS 1LE was very fast but the transmission didn't have the buttery smooth synchros of that old Muncie 4-speed. It's not just a romantic notion either. In 1975 I easily beat a corvette in a street race without even touching the clutch.
I definitely prefer the M6, even for city driving. It's not a chore for me. It's more like getting to play on my way to work - gets my heart pumping every time when I hear the exhaust note respond to the shift and throttle.
It takes more skill to go faster at the drag strip or get a better lap time at the track when you're using a manual shift so it means more to me. I didn't feel so bad that a CTSV beat my 1LE by 2 car lengths at the strip (thought it was a plain Caddy) when I knew the skill it took just to keep up. Besides, although I'd always prefer to win, I just love racing!
Don't misunderstand me... I'm fascinated by this new marvel of engineering. The A10 has got to be the most advanced mass-produced transmission in automotive history. I even considered waiting to order it, a steal at $1,595.00. Owning one of the first would be a wise investment too, sure increase in value over time. Watching all the videos and reading the specs, I'm certain it would be faster than the M6 and probably the fastest bone-stock production car on any track I'm likely to visit.
For me, it's not just about being the fastest car or owning the fastest, latest tech. It's all about the experience, as others have said. I've been waiting 40 years to buy this car... not to polish it up and parade it around town, although I'll do that from time to time, but to race it on road tracks. That's what this car was really engineered to do and that's what I intend to do with it. With a little experience and a fair number of failures, I expect to get quite good at it. Who knows, I may someday pass you in your A10 on track day at VIR or CMP. After all, those technical turns have a way of evening the odds.
Hope you all enjoy your new ZL1's, whether they're M6 or A10s. I know I will!
--Cal