Auto or Manual?

Yes, they are faster than a manual car

No, fully auto won't be faster than manual car since it will change gear before reaching the best performance of every gears. So it will go slower than manual car (if the shift is done quickly).

I'd go for manual unless the auto has a paddle shifter because i still like to be able to control the gears, but on some long distance travel/traffic jam i kinda appreciate the auto

Wanna race? :)