Let me put it another way. You reach a Y junction with your sportcar, both ways take you to your destination but to the left is a brand new ultra smooth completely straight highway, and to the right is the old winding mountain road with all types of curves, declines and uphills, and constant variations.
Which road do you take with you sportcar to your destination?
The highway is quicker like the auto tranny, its and more confortable like the auto. The winding mountain road is older, needs more concentration, its more hard work, demands more skill from you, there are more things going on... like a manual. Does that clear why some people preffer the manual in a sportcar that is used for "pleasure" not solely transportation even though its less "effective"? If I was driving a sedan to and reached the junction I would take the highway but in my 911 I'd take the winding road any day, thats what its for, for me. Nothing to do with tradition. I ride 1000cc sportbikes but a 600cc sportouring bike is more confortable to drive, safer to drive, easier to drive and in many instances its just as fast in the streets, then why do some people preffer the overkill 1000cc sporbike? because the experience is not the same.

I understand that driving and streets can be very different things in different places. If I were in Orlando for example, were everywere you go its four lanes of straight and flat roads full of SUVs and heavy sedans driving like a herd at the same limit and blocking all the lanes, then I'd probably choose a DSG, but over in my neck of the woods, I'm fortunate enough that a manual is superior.

A friend of mine just bought an M3, he tried the SMG-II, he said its fantastic, shifts are very quick, fun to play with the paddles, but thats it, after a while its like a playstation driving game, you get bored of it and driving is not as involved, not as challenging, and not connected to the car as than with a manual nor is it faster in street spirited driving in the end. So he got the M3 manual. But thats a personal opinion, others love the SMG-II and never get tired of it and enjoy it.

Its just a matter of personal preference. I'm not one of those that says sportcars have to be manuals, no, it depends on the person, both have their advantages. Thank god we can choose