It has been been a long a time since my original post. My R XL ('extra long' as a friend calls it) has covered 12,000 miles now. Love love love it.
The fake exhaust issue continues to wrangle me but it is what it is, hopefully this is addressed with the MK8.
My lease is due next summer, head has started to think about the replacement and this side of an RS6 nothing jumps out. Toying with the idea of another R estate lease or buying a well spec'd second hand car and running it for a good number of years. Decisions decisions.