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Do your think it would be fun driving a current formula 1 car? Well, for the same reason that Porsche has made only the PDK available in the new GT3 - computers can shift and match revs more quickly and accurately than any human, they don't have manual transmissions either.
Don't get me wrong - I own and prefer a manual transmission. Ultimate lap times/performance don't matter to me and frankly, I have always considered the skill of being able to properly use a manual transmission, including double-clutching downshifts, etc. to be one of the things that defined being a good performance driver. I take pride in my abilities at matching revs and driving a manual transmission smoothly and quickly - that it is I and not a computer that is accurately blipping the throttle on downshifts. And even though this skill is clearly on the way to becoming a 'lost art', I suspect that I will always take pride in it.
I guess it is somewhat akin to the prevalence now of autotune for singers - they no longer need to sing on key as a computer can make the adjustments for them prior to the sound being amplified, or recorded. So, if perfect pitch no longer requires any skill, who cares if anyone has it? Some artists do. And some audiences. I, for one, would far rather listen to a recordning of Frank Sinatra, occasional errors and all, singing a song, than an auto-tuned and computer-corrected Michael Buble singing the same song. IMO, the former is true artistry - flubs and human foibles and all, whereas the latter is a homogenized and sterile imitation of artistry.
Now. does Micheal Buble enjoy singing before thousands of screaming and adoring fans without worrying about singing in tune? Count on it!
Brad
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