We had a 2.8 loaner, and among other differences the clutch felt heavier (stiffer).

A friend came to visit and I let him drive my 2.8 and one of the first things he said he noticed was that the clutch seemed to require more effort than on his 1.8T.

I test drove a 1.8T a year and a half ago, but I don't remember the pedal feel, and I didn't have my car yet so I didn't notice a difference.

I used to have a Pontiac GTO with a 6.5 litre engine. You (I) couldn't hold the clutch down on that car for very long my leg would start shaking from fatigue. I now have a old E type Jag with a 4.2 litre engine and that thing takes a little effort. Drove Civics and VW Rabbits for years and they were a piece of cake. The deal is, the bigger the engine (HP & torque) the heavier clutch is in order to deal with it. Good design can mask most of this (by leverage etc.) but in the end there's no escape. It's going to take more work to move that clutch.
P