Wow, thanks a lot for the nice comments!
What an ego boost! Yeah, I really love how they transform the car.
It just looks more aggressive/sporty to me. Oh, and they're exactly the same color; it's just the sun on the left that makes the right side look darker.
I bought the lights on the German ebay (ebay.de) from Baum. They were ~185 euros, not including shipping.
As for the Passat, it's a completely different car, drivewise. I guess it's redundant for me to say it, but it's FWD and it shows (particularly in corners). Muted steering, subdued suspension, and soft seats make it a nice cruiser, though--very comfortable. And the 2.0T is pretty peppy when pushed. It's longer, hence roomier, and has an amazingly large trunk. An all-around nice car, but it's purpose is definitely different than the 3's. At least it feels that way.
Although a chiptune works wonders on a FI car. I believe it raises output to 240hp for the B7's 2 liter. Too bad it's a lease.
Thanks for the comments!