if you are near 300ibft torque id be fitting con rods or that engine will not last long
Whilst good advice, I have to question this 300 lb-ft limit.
I ran 330+ lb-ft for over 2 years with no problems.
I sold the S3 to a mate who sold it to another mate...and at 6 years old, it was still running 320-330 lb-ft on standard internals.
However, the delivery was so spikey, it was a handful for a 4WD car...and utterly pointless and verging on undrivable on a FWD car with a chassis as bad as a Mk3 Golf.
you was very lucky and sounds like you had a bad map too
i have no issues with power delivery or drivability what so ever, its no track day car but if i was to do track days id not be using a mk3 golf!! (or any golf for that matter)

i used to have major issues with traction and handling with my old box and no diff and 250 bhp, but now it is a total transformation with the current box, wavetrack diff and 350+ Bhp, and if anyone saw my facbook last night it absolutely killed off STI hawkeye last night at the lights (i was behind him and when the raod branched into a duel carriage way i took him in second!)
then again in 3rd when he came up behind me like a raving raly driver, he then bottled it at the next set of lights, turned round and went back the other way
Not arsed about comments saying no way etc etc, does not interest me. it is huge fun to be able to destroy cars like this with a 19 year old OEM looking 5 door ex 8v GTI
So those who think any more than 200bhp in a mk3 is no good, have either never been in one or been in one that has got a decent set up