Sure is alot of buzz over this new version... I can feel the excitement here :drool:
What's interesting is that over on one of the 4runner message boards where I post, there is a lot of angst, gnashing of teeth and rending of clothes over the fact that (a) they dropped the V8 (even though the new V6 puts out more power than the old V8), (b) they went to a conventional 2wd/4wd t-case instead of the center-diff with a 2wd or AWD option on the TE and SR5 models (Limited still gets the center diff but it comes with full time 4wd) and (c) no leather on the TE or SR5.
I had to

at all of these "issues." Seems the people on that board are more about speed, appearance and on-road driving than they are about off roading (of course, it's a 4runner board, not an off-road board, and a surprising number of people on it own 2wd 4runners, so I guess that should be expected.)
I think it would be great if they offered a manual transmission once again. My thought is that if the FJC is dropped from the lineup, there will be a niche for a MT-equipped SUV so Toyota may offer the MT in the 4runner. After all, Nissan still offers an MT in the Xterra and of course Jeep offers an MT in the Wrangler, and seeing as how those are the 4runners' primary competitors in the "off road SUV" market, it would make sense that they kept a vehicle in that category.