Driving enthusiasts may look upon the old muscle-car days with fondness, but chances are they wouldn’t have wanted to experience a wreck in a 350-horsepower straight-liner without the optional seatbelts. It was kind of like the football players who used to play with leather helmets – they walked in smart, but probably stumbled away much worse for wear.

Today, electronic safety systems and airbags are the name of the game, and the 2006 Volkswagen GTI provides them both in spades. Standard on every GTI are front dual airbags, front side airbags, and dual side-curtain airbags. The front passenger’s seat has an occupant detection system, each front bucket boasts an active headrest to help prevent whiplash, a crash sensor unlocks the doors in the event of a crash, and all five passengers, even the one riding the middle hump out back, gets a three-point lap and shoulder seatbelt. Furthermore, engineers have included standard antilock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, a traction and stability control system, and a limited slip differential that puts power to the front wheel with most grip.