This topic really interests me, because I have a love/hate relationship with the vee. Firstly, lol @ "boring Lotus" - ever driven an Elise?
Okay so moving on, it's no secret that I actually think the Clio V6 looks s**t, and close up, the detailing is horrid - it really does look like a Clio with a body kit. Like an ill-fitting wig IMO. As a car to drive, I can't comment as I've never driven one, and I'm sure it is full of character and very rewarding, but (for me) it's still a very expensive Clio. HOWEVER, part of me still wants to own one, and I think if I drove one I'd own one the following day...
The Golf GTi MkV might be more pratical, but then £20k+ for a car that's basically slower and less fun than a 182? No thanks. Although again, I have not driven the Golf.
Tricky choice for me. The Golf would not be on my shopping list, but the Vee would. Sort of. Just now I'm doing mega motorway miles and I need a boot to hold bags containing two weeks worth of clean undercrackers and two laptops, so a vee may not be too practical at all. 350z or S2000 is more suited to me just now if I upgrade to "exotic" and a Golf isn't exotic anyway, whereas the Vee certainly is...despite being an expensive Clio yadda yadda...
If you put a gun to my head on this one, I'd choose the V6 and pile my clean Y-fronts and twin laptops in the passenger foot well.