i dont know if manuals will disappear entirely, but i could see a lot of sports cars (exotic and non-exotic) going to a single system (auto/DCT) for the cost benefit. I think manuals would still be an option in lower end cars, because like you said Pharmacist, they're cheap, so for the average car, the cost benefit is still there. majority of cars in europe are still sold in MT...
I definitely agree that the more advanced autos will trickle their way down to the avg car eventually, after the technology matures and factories are able to reproduce them at a cheaper (and profitable) rate.
in the long run, i think this will also increase the price of the manual exotics we have left. they'll run in a higher demand because there are still plenty of drivers that want a MT. they're fun to drive, more involved, and the demand from the purists will drive that demand/prices up. the ferrari california and the 458 will probably be the last ferraris with MTs (i think?), so in 10yrs time, i bet their value will appreciate partially on the basis of what transmission they carry.
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