Let’s face it, you ideal fem / butch types: sometimes all you want to do is speed – and a lot of it.

Sure, you can’t afford to have just a race car that you can race every weekend. You need to be a bit more responsible and get a small practical car that has four doors and a sense of sensibility to it.  But gosh darn it, you want to be able to work the clutch and get that engine going and just feel like you are tearing up the track. And really, who doesn’t?

Possible the best ‘hybrid’ out there – a car that gives you the fast-track performance of a race car along with the reliability of passenger vehicle for everyday use – is the 2016 VW Golf GTI.

The engine on this baby is what’s key. Across the Golf GTI lineup, you get a turbocharged 2.0-liter, dual-overhead cam, 16-valve, four-cylinder direct-inject engine, which will yield 210 horsepower with 258 pound-feet of torque. This really is the ultimate in a small and mighty engine. You may not win at Daytona or Indy, but you just might win in Fort Lauderdale or Palm Springs once you get it all revved up and ready to pop. The handling and steering really are worthy of the track.  The interior is stylish, the info-tainment system is very good and there is plenty of room in front.  Manual transmissions are standard and you can get the Golf GTI as a four-door sedan or as a hatchback.

I tested the top-tier Autobahn trim, which is priced just above $30K. Much like Clark Kent, this trim looks mild-mannered but packs a nice punch wherever and whenever you drive it.  Just below the Autobahn trim, you can get a Performance Package trim, which comes with larger front and rear brakes and an electronically controlled mechanical limited-slip front differential, along with an additional 10 horses – ya know, just in case you need more to pump into your pop.

The clutch on this year’s Golf is one of the easiest yet most responsive clutches I’ve driven in awhile. Even I had fun with it, and I am terrible with a clutch, Michael Kors or otherwise. This Golf was completely redesigned last year and still holds the elegance that launched more than a thousand drag races across the land.

To be sure, there are few downsides.  The back seats are tight, but once you big-boned types squeeze in back there, the drive should be okay.  The clutch is not particularly friendly in slow traffic, so be aware of that little issue (don’t wear flip-flops either while driving this power player – it ain’t pretty). And the touchscreen on the center console is just so … small, coming in at just 6.5 inches.  I guess when you are used to at least 8 inches, it’s challenging to pinch something smaller and still enjoy it.

If you are really into speed an even more into VWs, this will fit your Bill, Dick or Hairy nicely. Ever wanted a refrigerator made from a real VW? A Herbie, The Love Bug bed?  Toast that has the VW logo burned into it? Some people just go nuts over anything Volkswagen, a brand that really is synonymous with 1960s America and beyond.  Check out here some of the kooky and groovy products you can get for your classic VW life.

Sometimes, it’s all about going fast and not much else. Many a sportscar is simply too fast for the average consumer, and when you add in the cost of upkeep, having a race car, even as a second vehicle, is not practical.  The 2016 Gold GTI just may be the answers to your prayers for going fast while looking sane….

Assuming that’s what you are praying for.  Assuming you pray.  I’m just saying.  Not praying.