Manual vs automatic transmission. It almost feels like an ancient debate now, but it is no less interesting. Not just in terms of speed, but feel as well. Many people argue that the car feels better in manual form - you have more control over your gear changes and what you are doing, even if that means a flappy paddle gearbox. It can also have an impact on speed as well, not just top speed but acceleration as well.

A car's 0-60 time is one of the things that tend to be affected the most by the gear changes. It can be down to the smallest of margins as well, and we are talking about tenths of a second as well as full seconds. If a driver misses a gear or fluffs the change, it is going to slow you down.

What we have in this list are ten sports cars, all of which are available in both manual and automatic transmission packages. However, five of them are quicker as manuals, and five of them perform much better as automatics.

10 Faster - Porsche 718 Cayman GT4

via Motor Authority

The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 is actually only currently available in manual transmission form. And in that form, it is handy at a solid 4.4 seconds to it’s 0-60. And given the form of other Porsche’s such as the Boxster in manual form, it’s probably safe to bet that the Cayman GT4 in the manual form will have a slight edge over the automatic variant.

9 Faster - Porsche Boxster S

via GT Spirit

The Porsche Boxster S is one of the more modern staples of the Porsche lineup, although it does look quite similar to that of the 911. The latest edition, the 718 has a rather rapid 0-60 of 4.9 seconds and the manual, quicker than that of the automatic version which is at 5.1 seconds. Some editions of the Boxster have been even quicker at 4.4 seconds for the manual version.

8 Faster - 2010 Aston Martin Vantage DB9

via Supercars

Aston Martin is famous for luxury supercars, and they probably make some of the prettiest supercars as well. The DB9 was surely up there, and it’s been hailed as one of the best Aston Martin’s of the modern era. It was in production until 2013, and things got close in 2010. The manuals 0-60 was 4.5 seconds just a couple of tenths quicker than the automatic at 4.7 seconds.

7 Faster - Lotus Evora GT

via EFTM

This is the latest version of Lotus’s fantastic Evora, and it makes a whopping 416bhp from its Toyota 3.5 liter V6. Being such a small car, like the Elise before it, it’s incredibly agile and fun. It’s 0-60 in manual form is a pretty rapid 3.8 seconds and in automatic form? It’s 3.9 seconds…seriously close, but the quality of the manual gearbox is far superior. So go for the manual regardless.

6 Faster - Honda NSX

via Car Magazine

The Honda NSX is certainly a car that you will want in manual form. There isn’t a lot wrong with the automatic version, it’s just not the same. With development help by Ayrton Senna, the NSX quickly became one of the best JDM cars ever made with a manual 0-60 of 4.9 seconds. The automatic though loses 18bhp, which puts that 0-60 speed over 5 seconds.

RELATED: Who Is To Blame For The Death Of The Manual Transmission?

5 Slower - Chevrolet Camaro SS

via Car and Driver

The Chevrolet Camaro SS is one of the finest cars from the bow-tie and one of the best modern muscle cars out there. The standard manual edition features a six-speed transmission, but the automatic variant is actually quicker with a 0-60 of 3.9 seconds compared to the 4.4 seconds of the manual version.

4 Slower - Ford Mustang GT

via Performance Drive

The Ford Mustang GT is one of the modern staples of the Mustang lineup. And you can’t deny, that the Mustang is probably the greatest muscle car of all time. Well, in my eyes anyway. The Mustang GT’s automatic 0-60 is 4.0 seconds, a little bit quicker than the manual at 4.2 seconds. It’s not much, but it could be crucial.

3 Slower - Mazda MX-5

via Top Gear

The Mazda MX-5 is one of the best small sports cars out there. Maybe not quite as nice as the discontinued Honda S2000, but it is still a great sports car. Possibly the greatest small sports car of all time. In automatic form, it’s 0-60 in 6.9 seconds, just a smidgen quicker than that of the manual at 7.2 seconds.

2 Slower - Nissan 370Z Touring

via Double Clutch

It’s seriously close between the Nissan 370Z variants for their 0-60 times. Really close. The 370Z has become a pretty damn good modern variant of the original Fairlady’s that Nissan and Datsun have become famous for. The automatic does it in 5.0 seconds. And the manual variant? 5.2 seconds. See, I told you that it was really close.

1 Slower - Lotus Elise

via Wikipedia

Lotus are quite renowned for their small sports cars. What makes them so good is how agile they are, and how fun they are to fling through the corners. And the Elise in auto form hits 0-60 at a great 3.8 seconds. In manual form, it’s actually slower at 4.2 seconds for it’s 0-60. Still fun in both forms though.

Sources: Wikipedia, Double Clutch, Motor Authority, Car and Driver, Car Advice

NEXT: The Real Reason Why Lotus Failed