Well, I've had an automatic and a manual in the same car so I guess I can add to this discussion. Bought my 240D new with an automatic transmission. When the transmission conked out on me at 293,000 miles, I converted it to a manual. Best thing I ever did to the car. I like it much, much more with the manual transmission in it. It seems like it has so much more power. It really doesn't. It's just that you contrlol the shifts and the power. However, I must say that I never thought that it was dangerously slow with the automatic. You get used to it and you know what the car can and cannot do. Horsepower is somehting like 67 and the top speed is about 86mph.

Len
'83 240D 344,000 miles