That was the same with the MK5 - just luck of the draw.
If anyone ends up with the dunlops - bin them or insist the dealer changes them. They are shyte. 
i would not agree with that mate i had the dunlop sport maxx sp on my nurburgring astra and they seemed top notch
Thats what we all thought until we changed them for a better tyre 
Unless of course the "SP" are a newer version of the sportmaxx.... Cant remember exactly which ones I had, but they really were pi$$ poor compared to the Eagle F1 Assyms I have now. 
the SP were disigned especially for the nurburgring edition astra.
So is the SP directional or asymmetric?

how do people rate bridgestone potenza's? as that is what i have got on the golf and they seem good
Hmmmmmm . . . . opinions do differ on these, and whilst some detest them and some merely find them just OK - no one has ever stated they were fantastic.
Infact, a fellow Jock (search for username Schrodingers Cat, or sommat) really had a nightmare with em - sommat to do with what Scotland uses to de-ice the roads in winter - and they made the Bridgestones lethal - but when he switched to PS2s, they were fine.
Sadly, the last real top-notch Bridgestone was the S-02 Pole Position!