Definitely a bargain. A high performance sports car for $13K can't be beat. You still have the costs associated with high performance but entry cost is low so the risk reward ratio is on the positive side IMO. Manual is the way to go for me. I've had manuals off and on for 35 years now so it's second nature. For me, it's a must have for a car like this. I don't even mind spending money on this car since the entry cost was so low. A lot of fun for the money