
My wife has had the Beetle Dune for a couple of years, but the 7.5 R is a new arrival for me. Last car I 'owned' was a Lexus RX450h, then a couple of company cars. Recent complete change of job as I was bored has meant I'm close to home and back in my own car.
Test drove a 7.5 GTI PP on 19" Brescias and loved it. Very nearly bought the car. Having read through threads on here and living in the Peaks I decided to try a Golf R just to see how it went. Drove that and was blown away with the drive. Changed my mind and did the deal on the R which I'm very happy with and intend to be a keeper.
I was concerned about the ride quality on 19" wheels, but in both cases (GTI and R) the ride was surprisingly (to me) very very good. So much so that I specifically wanted the colour/ wheels and sunroof combo that I found on the R. Very happy camper!
Only mod I have done is changing the footrest (thanks for that forum thread) and chucking a VW boot mat in. I have no intention of any performance upgrades. I want to keep this car stock - plus I've got 2.5 years warranty I don't want to mess with.
The Beetle (Dune) is a quirky thing that gets all the comments. It looks great and is surprisingly fun (in a go kart kind of way) to drive.