The RX-8 comes in an automatic.
This definitely seems different, but if it's at all like the Mazda Rev-It-Up events they ran (I attended one last year), it's great fun and you have the opportunity to learn a lot.
They did not have manual transmissions, just autos with manual shifting if you liked. The courses were low-speed - lots of bends, so you don't have time to pickup an incredible amount of speed. The course, however, still feels very fast.
I'm a 'spirited' driver, but pretty unexperienced on a course and in actual competition. I've driven manuals all my life and would hate an automatic for a daily driver. That being said, as a beginner it's nice to compete in an automatic and be able to fully concentrate on where you are in the lane, when your slowing, when your accelerating, when you're taking the turn, etc. Unless you're very experienced, a manual won't decrease your time - it would probably increase it.
At the Rev-It-Up event, they started off with a general safety course, lasted 10-15 minutes.
They then had I believe 4 mini-tracks. Lines were about 10-20 minutes each, and you ran a car through a small (under 1 minute) course. The purpose was to teach you one specific thing (how to take an s-turn for example). There was a TV playing a recorded video while you waited, talking about the course. There was also a single instructor who would announce some tips while you wait.
The big event was the main competition track. You needed a helmet for this, and you could compete on this track twice. Course was probably 1.5 - 2 minutes long, line was probably 5-10 minutes long.
There was also a small area where you could test-drive their new cars. The lines there were longer, because there was only 1 track dedicated to all the cars. I didn't bother.
I was incredibly impressed - it was a load of fun, and it was heavily geared towards competition and learning how to drive on a track. A lot less emphasis on selling cars than I expected. However, I believe it was $35 to attend - this one seems to be free, so maybe it will be different.