i think it will be around like motorcycles.
my reason for this thinking is because of the existence of companies like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Maserati, Koenigsegg, Porsche, Mclaren, and other similar companies. then you must also see the existence of sporty cars from non dedicated companies. Chevrolet Corvette, BMW M3, Z4, Nissan GT-r, 370z, Ford Mustang, Scion FR-S.
people like driving. not all people. but there are enough people that like driving so much that car manufacturers can spend billions of dollars a year on making cars specifically designed to provide a great driving experience at the cost of space, fuel economy and convenience.
and even with these massive costs. they still turn a profit because people keep buying their cars.
I think that part of the driving experience that people will often look for is driving a manual gearbox. sure at the level of exotics the manual is gone but my point is, people out these want to drive manual. it would be foolish for manufacturers to not give people what they want and have the opportunity to make a profit.
i think manuals are going to become more rare as time goes on but never completely gone.
there is nothing better than a properly rev matched down shift to make you feel connected to the car.