+1 on the E36.
As VP, said... some of the VW engines are good... but the MkIV chassis is an absolute turd... and while a nice engine, the VR6 doesn't help things by adding even more weight to the front end... If I were dead-set on a MkIV VW for street/track use, I'd go with a 1.8T... plus, with some cheap mods, a 1.8T will make more power...
I remember a signature of one of the Vortex members: "Driver found... camber wanted..." Go onto the Vortex and browse the suspension forum... and spend a few days reading about the endless efforts to get a MkIV to handle... One vendor went so far as to cast new front spindles. It ain't pretty.