Welcome to the forum. I think you'll definitely enjoy the Z - RWD and a great feeling car out of the box. I always thought my MK6 GTI (which I LOVED by the way) needed 'extra goodies' to make it feel right. Although the interior on GTIs are top notch compared to other cars in its class (I've actually been considering either a GTI or R as a daily). And I always thought bc of the turbo - getting power gains in the GTI was cheaper and more 'bang for your buck'
As for the community here - you'll find a wealth of information and knowledge. Lots of guys have seen and done it all and you can definitely look at past threads to answer any questions you might have about the car etc.