[GR8-Ride]

After several years of back to back BMW M car ownership, I made the switch to a Jaguar F-Pace SVR two years ago. Fantastic vehicle, quick for an SUV, sounds fantastic, etc.

However I miss the feeling of rowing my own gears on a regular basis, and have been itching to get back into a manual sedan / hatch. I still want four doors (I'm also not a big fan of the Gxx M4, though the Gxx M2 looks awesome!). I'm not big on the Civic Type R / Hyundai Veloster / GR Corolla, all primarily on the styling side.

As a long-time BMW fan and owner of several, I'm partial to the M3. But as a daily driver, I find myself very tempted by the latest Mk8 Golf R. I've driven one recently, and actually found it pretty enjoyable to drive, albeit it was a 30 min test spin.

The M3 is clearly better looking, and obviously quicker, but I also wonder how often I could / would really utilize the additional 160 HP on the street (especially in Canada with 3 months of winter).

Any M3 owners who have come from any generation of Golf R, or any Golf R owners who made the switch to an M3/M4, and the reasons why (or thoughts in general)?


Patrick