I believe it's a "luxury/enthusiast" strategy. I believe the auto market will play out something like the watch market did with the introduction of the quartz watch. Most people just want to tell the time, so they buy a quartZ. Similarly most people just want to get from A to B, so will buy an electric (automated) car.

Some people enjoy the mechanics of the thing. So they buy a nice mechanical watch. These watches went from being simple utility pieces to works of art.

Similarly I expect that car companies will continue to sell a set of "enthusiasts" models for a long time. They might revert back to manual gearboxes, and become more and more outrageous works of art - turned polished engine bays (Think Perlée, etc).

When all your actual needs can be met by a self driving electric car, why do you own a physical mechanical car? For the enjoyment of it.