A hidden amusement of aging is the repetition you start to witness in the world around you. Take the music industry, where creativity-challenged artists increasingly turn to the past, mangling timeless songs by adding lyrics, resampling with jarring guitars, or giving them hip-hop hackjobs. Most of the target audience has only been on the planet long enough to see fresh innovation. The words "Fiddler on the Roof" mean nothing to Gwen Stefani fans.
Not much is different in the sport compact car scene - you wonder if today's kids know its roots. What, you think the Honda Civic Si and Dodge Neon SRT-4 were pioneers? Guess again, young man: the first to use a little car with little prices for big performance was Volkswagen, back in 1983. All modern rewrites since then may pack more engine and more tire, but at their cores rests the original GTI formula. Now somewhat forgotten among its newer peers, the GTI is nearing the end of its lifetime as an all-new Jetta hits showrooms, signaling a generation changeover. Because the new Golf and GTI are on the delayed-release plan, there's still time to give a familiar friend one last run.
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