Having surveyed the contemporary sports-car landscape and found it nearly bereft of the traditional, clutch-pedal-actuated manual transmission, BBC Autos contributor Brendan McAleer posed that question in 2013.

Not much has changed since then. Modern automatics offer greater ease, efficiency and speed, a combination that has all but stamped out the stick. And yet, some enthusiasts insist on rowing through the gears.

These drivers had something to cheer recently when Jaguar fitted a manual to its F-type Coupe and Convertible models for the 2016 model year.

BBC Autos spent an afternoon driving the Coupe with Jaguar Performance Driving Academy instructor – and all-around motorsport kingpin – Mike Finch, who explained what made the traditional manual transmission essential equipment for a certain breed of sports-car buyer.

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