Sorry to hear about your incident! Looks like you are recovering well though!
Re: dedicated track car
I loved my E36 M3 (1996 estoril blue). It was super reliable, great handling with some mild modifications (GC coilovers, etc) and very much a driver's car. Last for a track car, they are super easy to DIY on.
I would personally only go 96+. The closer to 99 the better. 95 vs. 96+ is an OBDI vs. OBDII issue. That said, the 3.2L S52 was mildly better than than the 3.0L S50, imo.
Here is my old car as motivation for you
... still sad that I sold it - I put so much blood, sweat and tears into that darn car.
good luck