RE: Manual?
If you've never driven a manual transmission car, I wouldn't recommend you learn on a new car - especially one with high HP numbers (doesn't make it any easier).
Having a manual gives you more control and (I think) more road feel. You get more info from the stick than you do from the pedal on an automatic. Once you've mastered a manual transmission, it becomes second nature to you. It's not a distraction, or even something to concentrate on. It's part of the overall driving experience.
There are "pro's" and "con's" to both an automatic and a manual. I want to "drive" the car, and part of the "driving experience" - to me (especially in a muscle car) is manually shifting it.