Obviously the 6-speed is new. I was just excited about it because it obviously can work with the 4.0L V6 in the 4Runner...I can only hope they'll make it avaliable. There is a serious lack, IMHO, of RWD stick-shift SUVs on the market. But I guess the market likes it large and lazy...

Anyway, I'm not quite sure what you're getting at. Sure the 6-speed wasn't around when the 4Runner was released, but there is no excuse for not at least making a 5-speed manual standard (although when shopping most people would be impressed by a standard auto) when it came out. I'm sure Toyota sells a manual SOMEWHERE in the world that they could have used in the 4Runner when it debuted. They own Hino, for cryin' out loud. Those boys make big-time trucks, but maybe they could've helped Toyota out. They are, after all, responsible for this new XRunner.