Engine oils
Now, all cars respond well to frequent oil changes with the right oil, but VW/Audis are much more sensitive than your "typical" car. The 1.8T has been known to develop sludge problems - google "1.8T sludge" and you'll find many articles, both first-hand and technical. The main cause of these sludge problems were due to the use of non-VW approved oils and, to a degree, the small volume of oil due in part to the small oil filters they use.
The engine oil to be used in these 1.8T engines have to be approved under the VW 502.00 standards, regardless of the weighting.
From my experience, these oils are all fully synthetic (mostly group IV) and carry a weighting ranging from 0W30 to 5W40. There's another standard that can be used which is also VW approved for the 1.8T but these cater to the extended service life oils. Even though technology has led to the development of such oils, I still think it's best to change an oil as frequently as possible. My view on extended service life is just a compromise for those who aren't car enthusiasts and just use their cars as transportation, nothing more.
Oil filters
The original oil filters used by the 1.8T in the A3 and Mk4 GTI have part number 06A 115 561 B. These held a smaller capacity of oil and so were physically small. I don't know what the exact figures are but I believe with these filters, the 1.8T would be full of oil before it reaches 4L. In the US (and perhaps in other countries too), VW revised the design and have now replaced that oil filter with a larger one (that was used by the Passat 1.8T since 2002). The part number for that is 068 115 561 B. Note the first three numbers - they're often referred to as the 06A filter (small) or the 068 filter (large). Mahle makes the 068 and is labelled OC 51, and Mann has the same thing but is labelled 940/25. AFAIK, both those are VW approved. There's also actually another oil filter compatible with the 1.8T that is even bigger than the 068. A variety of oil filter companies make them including both Mahle and Mann (950/4 and OC 105), as well as Purolator and Wix (popular and well-respected brands in the US, though I've never heard of them until now after researching all this). These mega oil filters are affectionately named the "big kahunas". While they're not VW approved like the 068, many 1.8T owners have ran them with great results (cooler oil temps, no sludge build up with the proper oil). The difference in size is actually quite appreciable, here's a Mann 950/4 up against an 068:
As you can see, the big kahuna also has an adapter at the end of it to allow for easy removal. I've heard getting them off is a pain because of the size, and if you were to use an oil filter wrench, you'd need one with a thin strap. The adapter at the end (of the Mahle and Mann examples at least) allows you to use a standard 6-pt socket (I'm not sure of the size, I'll check and include it in here once I find out) or adjustable wrench to gain leverage.
Here's some info about the different 1.8T-compatible filters (stolen from a Dutch Passat forum):
(0,48l) Standaard 1.8/1.8T oliefilter 06A 115 561 B (Mahle OC-264, Mann 719/30), is vervangen!
(0,57l) Vervanger 1.8T oliefilter 068 115 561 F (Mahle OC-470)
(0,61l) Groter oliefilter 068 115 561 B (Mahle OC-51, Mann940/25), zit op oudere diesels
(0,75l) "Big Kahuna" oliefilter 074 115 561 (Mahle OC-105, Mann 950/4, Wix 51333), Transporter 2.5 TDI
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