From a BMW blog...What's really killing the manual transmission?

[Lux]

Originally Posted by why?

today's current automatics, no matter the technology, get better gas mileage. Technology marches on. When cars come with so many computers and sensors they know exactly what you want and can give it to you, what is the point of a manual transmission.

It isn't "technology" that has developed automatic gearboxes to be, relatively, more efficient... It is still torque transfer by fluid coupling and it is still a net loss in kinetic energy... most of which is to the hydraulic pump and its pressure relief.

Newer automatic gearboxes benefit from early shift logic, different valve duration, timing, and lift variables to maximize low-rev torque, and absurdly tall high gearing combined with early torque convertor lock-up.

Give a manual gearbox the same gearing and camshafts and it will make an automatic equivalent look like a complete joke.