What about an RX-8? Sweet chassis, great brakes, cheap to buy and still fairly reliable. You can also get discount prices from Mazda for parts if you're in competition with it (auto-x, probably).

 

Miata

Cheaper parts, insurance, consumables, etc., leaving more money for track time.

There's a good reason you see more Miatas at the track than any other car by a wide margin.

 

He said he wanted more power.

 

Base C5 Corvette FRC (Fixed Roof Coupe).

 

I'd suggest Miata or an AP1. You could find a low mileage AP1 in your price range.

Evo's and STi's are good cars but an AP1/Miata will keep your racing edge sharp and your instincts alive. Good luck, no matter what you choose

 

For the budget minded folk, the miata is hard to beat, but understandably some folk, specifically those who will also use it as a fun weekend car and not just a straight up track car, want something "nicer" i.e. wont draw chick car jokes. In this, the s2000 is better (I guess).
The Z is also a good choice in the sense that on a road course they are competitive and what not, but imo the driving pleasure and overall trackability is better suited to the s2000/miata/rx8 cars namely cuz of its weight. It's just a question of whats your track/non track driving mix going to be. I mean, if you're going to be going to the track at least once a month, a more track suited car would be better, but if you're going to go a handful of times a year, maybe focusing on other things may be more important.
The AP1 is hard to beat value wise, even starting to make a strong argument against the miata if you compare everything price wise, and you could get one well within ur budget leaving ample room for mods/consumables/track time.
STIs and EVOs will still run at the top of ur budget and well out of it, and will likely be quite abused.
I like the vette idea as well.

 

OK, a forced induction Miata.

 

the ap2s are typically lower mileage and higher prices...ive seen super low mileage ap1s run the same as a considerably higher mileage ap2..the best part about buying an s2000 is that there is really no need to mod the car....it does not respond to most bolt ons with much more than a few midrange hp. so you could invest in tires, wheels, hardtop, suspension work if you prefer....

 

RX8 is a great option. Great handling, decent power, and the rotary engine lends itself to being turboed if you ever want more.

3rd gen RX7's cost too much if you want one in great condition (assuming you also want a car to DD).

I won't touch on Miatas since you've already got a dozen glowing recommendations.

 

How would you rank the cost of maintenance on an RX8?

I have a friend who's been trying to convince me to buy a 90's porsche 911 for under 20k. I'm personally leaning towards an 04-05 AP2. I've been seeing great deals out there that are within budget with mileage under 50k.

I wasn't planning on making it track exclusive. I wanted it to be a weekend/fun car too. The thing that attracts me to Hondas in particular is that the engines are so reliable and maintenance costs are pretty low.

I should be ready to buy in a couple months (working on making room in the garage). Thanks for all the feedback. I'll let you guys know what I end up with!