Welcome furio
What sort of car history do you have aside from an M2?
I’ve seen many a BMW owner buy a Golf over the years only to miss the BMW-ness and move back within a fairly modest amount of time.
And how do you drive?
I’ve owned both a GTI Performance and R in pre-facelift mk7 guise and they are quite different propositions.
The GTI feels a bit lighter on its toes and the diff does a great job to quell understeer and sharpen the handling, but the engine is low revving.
It’s plenty quick enough but doesn’t suit all driving styles.
Because it’s lower revving and has a smaller turbo it’s pretty decent on fuel. The brakes are good, the ride is good, everything is good really.
The GTI looks more sporty and handsome.
The R is higher revving and genuinely a very rapid car BUT it can drink a fair drop of fuel if you drive it hard.
The handling is pretty neutral but very planted and feels more solid than a GTI.
The R is much more keen to rev.
The R feels very black inside.
Tough call really. A lot depends on driving style and your expectations.
Lots of R’s around, many are hammered but many are pampered too.
The GTI returned to popularity when the price gap opened up between them towards the end of their production.
The later car you can afford the better the standard spec.
But it’s no BMW.