I don't blame you. Tuning expectations and results need to be managed. Otherwise, you might find yourself going back to the drawing board every so often
Keeping an unmolested low-mileage Supra might only work if you're a car collector and want its value to appraise in ten years at least.
But I think it's worth enjoying the car stock first before you tune and put on upgrades. And everything has to be reversible. That way, you can always put your...
There have to be a lot of factors that play into the question of who's faster.
By theory, the modern automatic gearbox eliminates all the "delays" from the stick shift ritual. But even in an ultimately perfect scenario, manual and automatic Supras will still have slight differences in weight...
Performance-wise, it makes a lot of sense to stick to automatic. It eliminates the delay caused by your hands rowing the gears, as well as disengaging and engaging the clutch back.
But from the perspective of driving experience, there will always be enthusiasts who are going to miss the stick...
I agree with what you said about some drivers loving the whole experience of rowing the gears and feeling the power. It can make us feel more connected with the car