Cat amongst the pigeons!

[RedHP]

In terms of performance of hot hatches, lets face it, VW screwed up with the Mk2/3-Mk4. They recovered with the Mk5 onward.

I'd have to disagree. The MK2 was just brilliant. It went wrong from mks 3 to 4.

The LED's on the Mk6 R's seemed almost 'desperate' to comply.... Other better options should have been considered, as these are almost identical to those on the Skoda Octavia RS-whatever. They might be all German now, but come on, VW is one marque and Skoda is quite the other !

Quite a few marques have them in the air dams, new 911's for starters.

Yes, this was another example. Cars should be individual, don't just stick them on anywhere (common places) and show the car's integrity/indivduality.

[The Danno]

In terms of performance of hot hatches, lets face it, VW screwed up with the Mk2/3-Mk4. They recovered with the Mk5 onward.

I'd have to disagree. The MK2 was just brilliant. It went wrong from mks 3 to 4.

The LED's on the Mk6 R's seemed almost 'desperate' to comply.... Other better options should have been considered, as these are almost identical to those on the Skoda Octavia RS-whatever. They might be all German now, but come on, VW is one marque and Skoda is quite the other !

Quite a few marques have them in the air dams, new 911's for starters.

Yes, this was another example. Cars should be individual, don't just stick them on anywhere (common places) and show the car's integrity/indivduality.

If you take away the front lamps as a unique location, as most new cars will have them there, including the new cooking golfs, and you take away lower down on the air dam or bumper as unique also, you're running out of locations to put them. On top of that there's probably some EU law stating they have be located within certain parameters. 

[mac7]

Mk2 was (and still is) brilliant. Loved the Mk4 R32 styling but never quite accepted the big silver grille on the Mk5 R32 - both great cars though. The Mk6 R just hits the mark.

I much prefer the R running lights to the string of fairy lights in the new headlamps, which seem a bit fussy and girlie to my eye 

Quite a few marques have them in the air dams, new 911's for starters.

Yes, this was another example. Cars should be individual, don't just stick them on anywhere (common places) and show the car's integrity/indivduality.

I'd say sharing a styling cue with a 911 just increases integrity. The R running lights are in the same location as the indicators on the non-R Sciroccos and the Passat CC, so follow a recent VW styling trend, rather than being 'just stuck on anywhere'.

[am1w]

I much prefer the R running lights to the string of fairy lights in the new headlamps, which seem a bit fussy and girlie to my eye 

Well you can't have them on an R so you would find them 'girly'.
Be happy with your Two Cheap looking Afterthought Christmas Tree Fairy Lights on your front bumper.

Oh, and they are pretty ineffective to boot!

Verily, a cat with very strange eyes.

[p3eps]

To catch up on the last few pages...

I like the location of the DRL's on the R.  I like the ones on Mercs just now that are in the same place, but have a slightly different shape to them too.  Personally I don't like the ones in the headlamps as they're just too cluttered.
I also agree that the rear LED's should have remained exclusive (other than those who retrofitted them!).  In the brochure they were originally classed as exclusive - but I think thats probably just the darkened lenses.

I love the side skirts on the R, and can't believe that they missed them out on the MK6 GTI.  The MK5 had them, the MK4 had them... and I feel that having a black little strip on the MK6 just looks like there is something missing. 

For me the MK4 R32 is a much better looking car than the MK5 R32... but as mentioned above it is looking a bit dated.  Its funny because I really don't like the MK4 GTI - but I think the R32 looks fantastic.  It annoyed me on the MK5 R32 that it looked like a Passat from the front!

[Phil1980]

To catch up on the last few pages...

I like the location of the DRL's on the R.  I like the ones on Mercs just now that are in the same place, but have a slightly different shape to them too.  Personally I don't like the ones in the headlamps as they're just too cluttered.
I also agree that the rear LED's should have remained exclusive (other than those who retrofitted them!).  In the brochure they were originally classed as exclusive - but I think thats probably just the darkened lenses.

I love the side skirts on the R, and can't believe that they missed them out on the MK6 GTI.  The MK5 had them, the MK4 had them... and I feel that having a black little strip on the MK6 just looks like there is something missing. 

For me the MK4 R32 is a much better looking car than the MK5 R32... but as mentioned above it is looking a bit dated.  Its funny because I really don't like the MK4 GTI - but I think the R32 looks fantastic.  It annoyed me on the MK5 R32 that it looked like a Passat from the front!

Agreed the Mk6 GTI side skirts are a pretty poor effort by VW designers.

[am1w]

I love the side skirts on the R, and can't believe that they missed them out on the MK6 GTI.  Agreed the Mk6 GTI side skirts are a pretty poor effort by VW designers.

I totally disagree.
The sideskirts on the GTi exhibit great design flair. They are most unusual and they give the car length and prevent it from looking like the fat bloated duck that the R is.

[Phil1980]

I love the side skirts on the R, and can't believe that they missed them out on the MK6 GTI.  Agreed the Mk6 GTI side skirts are a pretty poor effort by VW designers.

I totally disagree.
The sideskirts on the GTi exhibit great design flair. They are most unusual and they give the car length and prevent it from looking like the fat bloated duck that the R is.

I would imagine the designer penned them in his tea break, no flair about them whatsoever. 

[The Danno]

I love the side skirts on the R, and can't believe that they missed them out on the MK6 GTI.  Agreed the Mk6 GTI side skirts are a pretty poor effort by VW designers.

I totally disagree.
The sideskirts on the GTi exhibit great design flair. They are most unusual and they give the car length and prevent it from looking like the fat bloated duck that the R is.

I'm disappointed....Put your claws away  

If you don't like the way it looks, I'm surprised by that, because many of you are fitting various parts from it to adorn your GTIs...  

[am1w]

I love the side skirts on the R, and can't believe that they missed them out on the MK6 GTI.  Agreed the Mk6 GTI side skirts are a pretty poor effort by VW designers.

I totally disagree.
The sideskirts on the GTi exhibit great design flair. They are most unusual and they give the car length and prevent it from looking like the fat bloated duck that the R is.

I'm disappointed....Put your claws away  
If you don't like the way it looks, I'm surprised by that, because many of you are fitting various parts from it to adorn your GTIs...  

I am surprised you dislike my disagreeing. Surely one is entitled to an opinion. There is nothing catty about my comments. I am adamant that I am right and very clear with my reasons.

Now which R parts have we GTi owners fitted apart from the smoked rear LEDs? In sad retrospect, I prefer the cherry red ones that are now standard on the GTi.