When we picture growing old, we imagine a time where the salary is good, home life is secure and the spare income can be spent on two-seater sports cars.
But that's not reality and in the worst-case scenario, kids have forced the sale of your coveted motor and a bulbous people carrier now takes pride of place on your driveway. Life. Over.
Volkswagen believes that its customers don't have to give up the dream of owning a sexy speed machine just because they have a dog, a sprog and regularly indulge in trips to Ikea, as compromise lies in the marque's Golf GTD Estate.
This is the first time VW has slapped a GTD badge onto an estate model and the results are pretty impressive.
The same 2.0-litre diesel engine that powers the GTD hatch produces 181bhp and 380Nm of torque, meaning the 0-62mph dash is dispatched in just 7.9 seconds, yet the Estate can manage an impressive fuel consumption figure of 64.2mpg.
It looks the business too, thanks to a ride height that has been lowered by 15mm over the standard Golf Estate, ace 17-inch alloy wheels and smoked rear taillights.
Punters are also treated to the classic 'honeycomb' radiator grille of VW GT products, flared sills and dual chrome tailpipes that complete a menacing rear end... for an estate, that is.
Furthermore, drivers needing to load up the wagon for a family camping trip can make use of the 605-litres of boot space with the rear seats up, or 1620-litres with the rear seats folded flat - plenty enough room for some dirty mountain bikes.
Inside, there are GTI-inspired tartan seats, stainless steel pedals, golf ball gear knob (a nod to the GTIs of the 1980s) and the latest Discover Nav Pro infotainment system, which allows users to enjoy DVDs on the 8-inch colour touchscreen and tether smartphones via Bluetooth.
The VW Golf GTD Estate will go on display at the Geneva motor show in March where pricing details are also due to be announced.
