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5 full-throttle gift ideas that will make any car-lover's Christmas
All I want for Christmas is…
NEED A LITTLE Christmas gift inspiration for the petrolhead in your life? Sick of buying the same old car cleaning kit and fancy air freshener every year cause you just don’t know what to get them?
We’ve picked some gifts they’ll love and there’s not a furry dice or car shampoo in site.
Motorsport events
Bring joy to those who like their sports fast and loud and get them tickets to some of the best motorsports events. A Nurburgring or Le Mans 24-hour weekend ticket would be my top pick here as it is to car lovers what Glastonbury is to music lovers.
The tickets are quite cheap considering – and you can camp on site so no need for expensive hotels either.
Some other events that won’t break the bank are the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, and the Mille Miglia or ‘thousand miles’ road race in Italy – which is free to attend, and a great excuse for a holiday.
For something a little closer to home check out the Irish Drift Championship, or if two wheels are preferred to four you can take a look at the the North West 200… but it is not for the faint hearted!
Box sets
Ok, I know loads people have Netflix. But you can’t wrap up Netflix and put it under the tree. Box sets are a great way for the car enthusiast to indulge in their need for speed from the comfort of the sofa.
Some popular tv choices include Wheeler Dealers, For the Love of Cars, Fast and Loud, Knight Rider and, of course, Top Gear. Some great car movies include Bullet, The French Connection, Le Mans, Drive, Deathproof, Road, The Italian Job, any of the Bond and Fast and Furious movies. For a lighter touch, there’s also Thelma and Louise and Herbie.
Practical suggestions
For the perfectly coiffed petrolhead, this BaByLiss Pro Volare hairdryer powered by a Ferrari-designed engine would be ideal.
This Haynes 2017 Desk Diary is not only useful it is fun too and the perfect gift for classic car fans.
It has “classic cutaway diagrams from the company archives and appendices of useful dates and automotive-related data.” Car nerd nirvana.
Lego
Keep them quiet for hours – even days – over the festive period by getting the car nerd something they can build. Top of the list has to be this Lego Ferrari F40, or let’s face it, Lego anything.
This brick-build supercar is full of cool details and intricate features that will delight whoever Santa leaves this to.
Lego also has a Volkswagen T1 Camper Van, Volkswagen Beetle and MINI Cooper.
Computer games
There are loads of driving computer games on the market including Codemasters’ Dirt Rally, F1 2016 and Forza Horizon 3 - but the one that stands out from the crowd is PlayStation’s DriveClub VR. This immersive virtual reality racing game lets you race more than 80 elite cars over 100 different race tracks!
OK, it is pricey as you have to buy the PlayStation VR headset, a PS4 and the required camera system. But think of it as an investment that will bring months of happiness to any gamer.
Plus even the top Formula One drivers make use of VR to help with their racing. You could have the next Nico or Lewis on your hands.
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