I've got the back springs to do on my o8 alhambra how can you tell if the car has factory sports suspension or just standard suspension

I think the sports suspension sits a little lower... if the back of the car looks higher (big gap between wheel and the arch) then possibly it's the comfy suspension?

However I am not an expert and don't really know to be honest. Although I do know that the springs sit on a rubber mount and it's usually a good idea to replace that at the same time too so that they sit properly and you don't get a rattling and pinging sort of noise.

I stand to be corrected, as usual - but if you still have the original service handbook issued with your vehicle when new, there should be large label gummed on the front page with all the technical detail of the vehicle in code. You should be able to find a long string of three character alphanumeric codes, one of which I believe details suspension. I think that my vehicle's code for rear suspension is 1BE which I think is 'sports'. I will check that as soon as I can get to the service handbook. I also remember that my springs had white and yellow paint marks, which I believe are also spring identifiers, but that was before they were coated with Rustbuster sealing compound.
As stated, I stand to be corrected on all of that.... 

Mine says this sort of thing, does anybody know how you decode the meaning of these cryptic codes?

7V9 STO
ALHAMBRA
SPORTL4
85 RW TDI A05
BVK
BON CX1 GOF H2C JOR M3L G1D
1AC 192 1MR
ERV ESJ
352 3U4 QG2
SAN 8GU
3FA
1 BE OGG
4X3 423 4K1 N2C SMA
BRX 2JG EOA
1D0 A8F BBF U3Q
313 443 8N2

Original springs do have paint mark identification, whether that's still visible on an old car and what marks identify which spring I don't know

B-b-85 - I have checked my service manual and the factory build codes, and my Alhambra definitely has 1BE suspension. If you check out PlanetVAG.com, you will find a decoder which confirms that 1BE is sports. There is also a discussion somewhere on this forum about rear springs, and the importance of getting the correct spring profile with the appropriate wire taper and coil diameters which match the coil seats and rubber mountings. I believe the recommended spring manufacturer is Suplex(tbc). 

Thank you for the decoder, I managed to find it through that handy little search engine website and it is very useful. I have very much enjoyed looking at all the different settings that my motor car has.