To break it down piece by piece:
MANUAL TRANS
Slippage- True, but false in this context. Yes, a clutch slips, that is its only dynamic function. The whole beauty of a manual compared to an auto is that the slippage is super minimal and controlled by the driver, unlike an auto that keeps the torque converter unlocked way too long and doesn't have that connected feeling. Autos slip like crazy and waste driving force and generate heat.
Grinding- False, unless you are not using it properly. Synchronizers have been around for like a hundred years.
Slow shifts- User dependent. Also, user selectable in a manual, unlike an auto. If you're trying to go fast, shifts should be notably less than .5 second.
Excuses- Umm, ok
AUTOMATIC TRANS
More power than your manual can take- False. Manuals can easily have much larger internals and clutches. I have no idea why they stopped putting manuals in trucks, claiming they couldn't handle the torque, when there have been clutches that could handle twice that torque since the 60's. The evolution of the manual has stopped because automakers stopped providing them, and claim that the take rate was low. But these are the same automakers who never had manuals in stock on the lot and made it difficult and more expensive to special order them.
Minimal power loss- False. Just flat out false. Even the gold standard ZF8 auto has a lot of loss compared to a manual.
Faster gear changes- Depends on definition of "auto", but if its a traditional auto
like the one in the image they used with a torque converter and big pan where everything relies on valves and hydraulics and solenoids, then no. They are certainly way better than they used to be.
Won races- Sure. And lost them too. In the end, the driver can still be more important. For drag racing, an inexperienced imbecile in an auto might be able to beat a good driver in a manual, and that's part of why I hate automatics. It is helping keep inept people competitive with those who have actual skill, and is contributing to the dumbing down of humanity.
