Stick-Shift Supremacy: Five Manuals That Beat Their Automatics

Five manual-equipped cars beat their automatic counterparts in acceleration: Mazda MX-5 Miata ND (6.4s manual vs 7.1s auto), GR86/BRZ (about 5.4s vs 6.1s), Honda/Acura NSX (manual ~5.6s vs auto ~6.5s), BMW M3 E46 (manual ~4.5s vs SMG ~4.8s), and Porsche 911 Carrera 996 (manual ~4.9s vs Tiptronic ~5.6s). The piece argues that clutch control and shorter gearing in manuals can yield faster launches and a more engaging drive, despite modern automatics’ general speed advantage.