Surprisingly, the 70 gets more looks and interest than the HC. My 96 Viper Roadster seems to garner more attention than both the Challengers, tho. Im past the attention thing, i wanna enjoy what i worked years for. The HC is hands down the most fun to drive. all of these cars are manual tranny's cause that was my first car back in the day. A lower first gear would definately be a plus in the HC, but as much as i use it, it isnt gonna be changed. I'm sure whatever the OP decides on, he will be happy. We all have different tastes. Jim