I find it strange that you would choose which gearbox to have on the basis of the exhaust noise when the gearboxes are so different and an exhaust is so easy to 'fix' with after market options if you feel the need....is it not a case of the decision tail wagging the dog?
Don't get me wrong, obviously I wouldn't base my decision solely on the noise. I will drive both and see what suits me better.
I see advantages of both, I love the idea of the auto, not worrying about the clutch wear and getting nice smooth gear changes all the time and when maneuvering. But there are things I love about the looks and sound of the MC i.e. the dark headlights, the rear spoiler/side skirts, the Neptune is it?wheels ...AND the sound - in particular the blip on down change and having the valves open at low revs with sport on.
Now due to your very helpful posts on here I now know that I can get an auto with sport pack which will cover most of those points I mention above. I have been looking into the cost of retro-fitting some of these visual options to a GTS if I couldn't find one with the sport pack and it gets very pricey. That's why I was asking about the price of the FD box for the valves and whether "the easy to 'fix' exhaust with after market options" actually can sound the same as the MC.
It's not the be all and end all, but if I'm spending this kind of money on a car, I don't want to think afterwards "I wish I'd got the MC or Auto in the first place"etc..
The different combinations are a bit of a minefield to a newbie like me, so I'm just trying to get my head around them. I'm beginning to think with this marque, you just have to wait for the right combination to come up, or you could spend a fortune trying to achieve what you want.
