FergusH

I think I read something about the 2015 R where you're unable to completely disable the traction control and it makes the car less appealing to take to the track. Is that true?

I decided the R was a bit much for me. The 2016 models have almost all gone and at least in the Bay Area, dealers are asking over MSRP. I decided the GTI SE with the Performance Pack was more than good enough for me, since I will rarely take it to the track. I'm at the dealer right now picking one up. Exciting! Goodbye i3; hello Golf.

DrCGuerra

I have contacted HPA Motorsports several times. While they admit it might be difficult to do, they are still optimistic that the company that supplies their Haldex controllers will be produced for the current Mk 7 Golf R within the next 6-12 months. I am not as worried about disabling the traction control. While that would be great for the track if you are a pro driver, the majority of us would not come close to the limits of this car to really engage the traction control. When I drive my 991.1 GTS on the track, I never notice any of the nannies kicking in. I would have to be driving at 9 to 10/10th to notice that the nannies kicked in. Despite the significant improvement in my ability to drive my car fast on the track, my instructor guesses that I am at about 60-70% of the capabilities of my car. For the price, the GTI is hard to beat. However, if you want to increase the HP of the GTI, then I have spoken to several that it is easy to break loose the front tires because they cannot handle the extra torque that a 4-wheel drive car can. If price is not an issue, then the R is the way to go. That is why I am looking for a slightly used or CPO 2015. Good luck with your decision.

bk_911

MK6 couldn't be disabled. All MK7 '15 included could have TC disabled on the R. It was one of the features in all the press releases before it was delivered.