Don't know about the States, but where I'm from they're known as 'petrolheads' (i.e. those who truly appreciate driving only drive petrol (gasoline!!) cars and wouldn't be caught dead driving a diesel, or god forbid, a hybrid). I'm a petrolhead myself naturally. As regards manual transmission, I couldn't bear the thought of not being able to engine-brake in icy condiditons, slipping the engine into neutral and freewheeling down steep hills, dropping into 3rd and gunning past those annoying 'Sunday-afternoon' type drivers and articulated trucks. An a car's ECU will never outsmart the greatest computer in the world, the iPad. I mean, human brain.