100%
What an insane point to make. If you’re a car person then of course you’ll admire others’ cars, even if you’re not, they’re often great bits of design and good fun in the right setting.
It’s only stupid if you then go out and try to get something to compete with it for more than you can afford to spend. I have no idea what the poster you replied to is talking about.
Even in petrol cars automatic transmissions are more common than manual for new cars now. Automatic has just become better and better, and there’s just very little reason to have a manual these days.