I can't comprehend why a car enthusiast would pick an automatic over a standard trasmission unless it was for handicapped reasons. The icing on the cake for me is when people decide to mod it with parts to improve acceleration when you have to make up for a 1-1.5 second longer time to get to 60 mph or basically any speed. Installing the same parts on a 5-speed would make your car almost as fast as an M3.
Please post your reasons for buying an automatic if you don't mind.