I don’t see how you can ride the clutch like one would in a manual car. The clutch engages at pretty low speed and I think you will find it’s fine.
Tires. Hard tires last a good while. If you plan on racing, I’d go with the tire that the series uses. If you just want to lap cheaply, a durable set of hards will last a while but will have a bit less lateral grip. I suspect folks here can make suggestions as to brand/model.
You probably won’t regret not getting a shifter, but you’ll never know until you go that route.
We generally try to guide towards more accessible and “easier” vehicles at first. Shifter karts are the pinnacle of kart racing and are expensive and brutal. Large piles of money required and there’s quite the learning curve, mechanically and driving wise.
Lo206 will not have much in the way of acceleration, which is part of its charm. They are driven to maintain as much momentum as possible. It’s a very technically precise form of driving that is ideal for new racers. Teaches you how to drive really well because you HAVE to be efficient.