Having a manual in those is worth a few extra points, too.
Yep, that's the kicker for me.
Of course it sucks that no manual transmission is offered (starting out at least), but to me any corvette is a 2nd or 3rd vehicles anyway. So why not have a manual for your everyday/winter beater, like a Subaru WRX, Golf R, or Civic Type R. Then the loss of the manual in your vette isn't such a big deal.
I say maybe give the Corvette a manual in its Gran Sport trim, a la GT3 Touring, just to placate the hardcore drivers/collectors. Otherwise, and this may be blasphemy (also admitting i have almost zero experience with very fast cars), but this thing doesn't need a manual. It's a supercar now, ergo probably far too fast, grippy, and nimble for *most* civilian drivers to then have to worry about shifting their own gears. Save The Manuals, sure, but ‘Save’ them for the slower fun cars; Miatas, Boxsters, sportier Bimmers, etc. (Signed, Buzz Killington
)