With the incintives available from GM these days, a 2008 1LT, Z51 Corvette is definitely in the price range you mentioned, albeit perhaps the upper end. Corvette Forum vendors are selling them for right at 40K. The 08 gets you as much as 36 more hp than the previous C6 Corvettes (Z06 excluded) with improved steering, and weight in the 3100/3200 lb. range... Driving a C 6 Corvette is about as much fun as you can have with any car, and the cargo space is damn good, which is more than you can say for most 2 seater sports cars. Plus, in real life it can get you up to 30mpg highway, 21/22 city. I can see the 08 being competitive with the C5 Z06 given the approriate driver, and on an autox course, a C6 Z06 appears to be overkill from what I have seen so far. Worth a look and test drive IMHO...
OzCop
"It's never too late to have a happy childhood."