ORIGINAL: mac
I for one don't know. In the old days automatics were always slower than a standard tranny but in recent history some automatics beat the standards. With this high output engine, the computer controlled automatic might just give you a better time but just a guess on my part.
I would say in the hands of someone who drives a standard transmission well, the manual should have a bit of an advantage with 6 speeds available to the power-band, as opposed to 5 in the autostick. While the module will shift the automatic transmission seamlessly, there HAS to be an advantage to having 6 gears in the manual, with a shorter final drive in it. This would obviously get you to terminal speed quicker than fewer gears with more "distance between them".....in theory anyway.