Any car at any speed will benefit from being able to stop / slow down more efficiently
....Exactly! Far better to have 'big' brakes and not need them very often than to need them and not have them!
It's not a matter of "hooning about" as SaintSteve says, nor "driving within the law" as Andrew says:
@ Steve:
Were we hooning on those B-roads when you said you nearly rear-ended me? - I thought we were just enjoying driving our cars on some B-road twisties. Plus I have been in convoy with you many times and you love to have fun safely as much as the rest of us.
@ Andrew (Parker):
Believe me, there are plenty of roads in my neck of the woods (and elsewhere) where you can drive fast and safely without breaking the law. Having a balanced and good braking power adds to the fun and is much safer.
It's well-known that standard VAG cars suffer from poor brake pedal feel. As said by others earlier, cars like the Golf are designed very generically - We are not seen as the same sort of customers/end-users who buy R8's and Porsches etc. Cost and profit is a major factor too.