VW GTi Sledge

We reckon the Snow Future GTi sledge is the coolest form of festive transport.

Christmas and snow are pretty much inseparable in most people's heads - regardless of the fact there hasn't been a proper white Christmas since 1981.

But despite that, Volkswagen has announced a collection of sledges for the winter. Stuart Milne reckons the Snow Future GTi sledge is the coolest form of festive transport.

When I was about seven or eight, my dad built me a proper wooden sledge.

It was built of inch-thick wood and sported a pair of aluminium runners, and I was the envy of the local park.

But not as much as I was when I returned the next day, complete with gloves and woolly hat; because the runners had been replaced with wider ones for better performance.

I barely knew what speed was at that age, but already I was becoming a performance junky.

And despite the fact I'm far too old for a sledge of my own, I'm still desperate to have another crack.

That’s likely to mean waiting until I have kids so I can revisit my childhood heroes, which is likely to also include a train set, Lego and a huge stack of Scalectrix track.

So, as a hot hatch aficionado, I was excited to see Volkswagen's Snow Future GTi sledge.

It sports the Golf GTi's trademark honeycombe grill and GTi and VW badges on the front and even has Golf GTi dials in front of the driver.

Not that any of them are fully functioning; they're 100 per cent sticker.

Steering is taken care of by a traditional rope arrangement, which tugs a centrally-mounted runner to carve through the piste in the park.

And when it comes to stopping the sledge and driver ending up in a freezing cold duck pond, there's even a pair of metal brakes which can be operated independently for some impressive sideways stopping moments.

Suspension? Yup, it has that too, with a seat to absorb lumps and bumps.

Even Porsche has got in on the act, with its Porsche Design Children's Bobsleigh.

Naturally, none of this comes cheap. The Porsche sledge will set you back £59, while Volkswagen will give you a penny change from £70. Both are available from your local dealer.

But is that such a price to pay for reliving your childhood?