The Golf R is understated enough and the R badging is hardly in your face, its as simple and as discreet as you can get and as already mentioned, the less informed would always state that the GTI is the elite Golf and have hardly a clue to what an R is and stands for.
Exactly how we like it or we would all be driving something else. The Golf R is perfect for my tick box of understated but alluding to something more.
Personally I think the badging is the perfect end touch and to remove would maybe lean car towards seeming to be a face lifted 1.4