I traded my stock '81 Vette in on an '09 Solstice NA coupe a few years ago. Not an exact comparison as 18 years of technology easily pushed the Solstice to the top.
My priorities were coupe, low miles, manual, acceptable color, affordable, gxp (in that order). I test drove a low mileage NA coupe auto and was disappointed with the performance. I'm happy with the manual i got. I just couldn't find a gxp within my budget and timeline. I would like the extra hp and handling of the gxp, but mine is mostly a fair weather cruiser, so I'm not disappointed. I'll likely add some handling mods soon. I'm still on the original 20k, 11-year-old tires, so those are top of the list for upgrading this spring. I've thought about adding a convertible Solstice to my garage. I'd definitely go for a gxp manual. They are much easier to find than the coupes and would provide more "spirited" driving, when desired.