Test drove the car in Japan.... They only had automatic and was confined to 40km/h maximum.
Impressions:
Not much to say seriously when I was confined to an enclosed track and 40km/h AND automatic. It was slower than I thought it would be, but the seats were great. First car I've ever been in where I actually had to adjust the seats up instead of all the way to the bottom. Also can hear the engine quite well, probably cause of the sound piping.
Considering that the auto is geared higher and the torque converter, I would expect the manual to be a bit faster and crisper.
Also, girlfriend had no complaints in terms of seats and ride quality
She actually likes the buckets and the support it gives. So for you guys with girlfriends, you should be fine, until you put in 400lb springs lol.
There was the stripped version sitting the showroom, and it was manual. Only other impression is the shifter feels great when stationary. Can't comment on actually using it but rowing through the gears were good, throws were short.