FYI, the Mirage is no joking the easiest-to-drive manual I've ever driven. The clutch is feather light. Switching back to the Metro/Firefly, it felt like driving a truck by comparison.
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Also, KrautBurner: there are now a bunch of replies on the Mirage forum, if you haven't seen them yet:
Thread Someone wants to know: how's the Mirage on highway hills?