well.....you may want to reconsider your notions based upon facts.
1) The vette is fast, and correctly optioned, e.g. Z51 package and six speed will run away from any other car in it's price range. The new Z06....runs away from cars costing $100,000 dollars more expensive.
2) The combination of the advanced traction control and electronics that step in and assist the driver to regain control when crossing over the line...not to mention the heads up display that lets you see speed and tach without looking inside the cars as it it displayed on the windshield although it looks like it is hung in air over your right fender..are life saving and state of the art.
3) The car is one of three american style sports cars. meaning two seats and V8 power made in the USA. The Viper and the Ford GT....great cars but much pricier.
4) If you have $50 grand for a new vette or $25-30 grand for a recent used vette you have little competing choice.
German - M version of their two seater....nice enough....not as fast or as american....straight 6......not the same. MB and Audi....nothing close.
Japanese - The Z is not a match although a nice car. no other company sells a high performance two seat sports car....sorry the mazda miata is nice,,,,but not a match....Honds s2000...nice car but sorry not a match for the vette...
Quality - you are correctin this as I must say it lags behind the japanese and Germans....little problems cosmetic in nature. But spped costs.....and the car is twenty five thousanfd dollars less than another car which might give it a run for the flag. Oh yeah...the hatchback and storage let you use the car as a little station wagon...very practical.
The Mullet.....not every vette driver has a mullet at least not on the left coast here in SoCal.....owner - 2002 corvette Z51 six speed with heads up display.