Be interesting to see what your thoughts are after a few weeks with the R MH. A lot on here have come to the R from a GTI, not as many from a GTD it seems. I know you (like me), were one of the early adopters of the GTD, and despite some minor shortcomings, I still love the car and currently have no plans to change. I do however sometimes give a lusting look over my shoulder at the R (especially a 5 door DSG in Lapis and Prets) but it's just too big an ask financially for me at the moment, and will wonder how you think it compares to the GTD in the real world after the initial excitement wears off (as all cars inevitably do).
I'm not talking about performance or grip of course (the R will murder the GTD in those respects), just living day to day with the R vs the GTD. Hope all goes smoothly today and congrats (in advance) on the new motor.
And congrats to the OP - Ben on the new GTI - looks cracking. Congrats fella (your thread appears to have been hijacked 
)
I think day to day it'll be pretty much the same car 90% of the time when you're not dipping into 1/2 of it's potential, but for me traction will be a big plus. It was a bit wet this morning and I was driving the GTD with a heavy foot (last commute to work in it) once rolling, plenty of tramping getting away from a roundabout - I won't miss that.
I will probably get the Soundaktor turned down or turned off straight away (as soon as I can get a lend of mcmaddy's VCDS
).
The biggest difference for me (not obsessing about diesel tickover like some non-diesel owners do, as I never sit with the car idling) will probably be any differences in ride on the 19" wheels rather than 18" wheels, but I just didn't like the Cadiz on a Lapiz R. As you can tell from a few posts back with the last drop of diesel going in, i'm a tightarse when it comes to unnecessarily spending on the car and yet taking Prets over the Cadiz was worth over £800 to me.
Sorry for the Hijack Ben, congratulations!
I'm going to keep the R a fair while i'm sure, hence me going for the 5 year warranty. Can't see anything else tempting me before the MK8 performance cars are out, unless VW has some gorgeous new Scirocco under wraps that makes the new TT look like a BMW 1 series by comparison.
