To be fair when you look at the way cars have come on, the features, technology and what not that you get...£31k for a highly specced GTI isn't bad. I specced mine up and it came to nearly £40k...
With things looking how they are, I've been looking at the 135iM (that one with officially 320bhp but it's actually 340bhp), they are around £30k, I specced mine with the bits I'd have, sports steering wheel, Xenons with cornering, keyless go, BMW Nav/Ipod and other sort of every day luxiries and it came to £36500...not a bad price and when you look at the monthly payments, not too expensive at all.
It's temping but at the end of the day it's not a VW... maybe a test drive would change my mind.
Point I'm making is that VW charge £31k because they can, because it is a quality product, the interior in the Mk7 is nicer than in the A8, fact. You get in it and you would think and feel you are in a luxury car.. except it has a slippy diff and 230bhp and looks that definately grow over time!