When I was looking around for a fast Mk3 Golf I got some quotes for the relevant models.
GTi 8v - 700 quid from Tescos
GTi 16v - 750 quid from Tescos
VR6 - 780 from Elephant
However I was 22 at the time and had full no-claims, which may explain the parity between the three. I was interested in a VR6 but the newest I could afford was on an M plate, whilst I could have a P or R reg 8v or a P reg 16v. 16v's were like rocking horse poo when I was looking so I settled on the 8v. It was fast enough to have some serious fun in (altho the fact that I was upgrading from a Cinquecento may have helped this - don't mock, it was a Sporting, and ate Nova SR's for breakfast) and wouldn;t go pop at 100k miles like the VR6's I looked at. I tell you one thing aswell, from my test drive experience, the VR6 was much faster in a straight line yes, but the 8v felt so much keener in the corners. All that pig iron up front in the VR6 really does blunt the handling pretty badly.
