I don't care what VW supposedly says, it's turbo lag. This is my 2nd 6-speed DSG (MK5/7), and they both lag the same. I ALWAYS make sure I'm moving before making any left turn in front of traffic, and give it just enough gas to develop the torque needed. Only after I'm sure it's responding do I give it more gas. It took me a week to get used to how the R was programmed, and even after years of driving both cars I still need to be aware of what I'm doing.
Driving with the transmission shifter togged to Sport mode raises the idle to about 1,100 RPM instead of about 900 RPM. This makes a big difference in off-the-line acceleration simply because the idle is higher. You still need to be very careful about applying throttle, because you can still get just as much lag.
It's not like you can use launch control every time. BUT, I found I can play with it, by revving up to 2,000 RPM, let up on the gas so the RPM's start to come down, then let off the brake and hit the gas. I didn't notice how much, but I don't think it's more than 1/4 pedal. Get it right, and I find it eliminates turbo lag. The only problem is you need to be consistent and anticipate when you need to take off. Still better on the clutches than holding the RPM at a fixed level. I doubt there would be any appreciable wear, since it's not like you'll need it every time you take off.
