Have you got a car nut to buy for this Christmas? Well then, you've come to the right place, as we have some great gift ideas that are sure to please even the fussiest of car lovers.
First off, petrolheads are an easy bunch to shop for, as they are usually pleased with anything that gives them another reason to spend time with their beloved motors. Take for example a car cleaning kit. Ok, so cleaning kits are a bit predictable and dull but they are useful. Pertrolheads like to spend hours making sure their motors are the cleanest and shiniest on the block and love nothing more than spending hours out in the driveway shampooing, glossing, waxing and buffing the paintwork to a blinding shine. Get them a cleaning kit that includes everything: the bucket, cloths, sponges, cleaning products and perhaps even a mini, hand held car vacuum cleaner. You can get car cleaning kits in many different places including supermarkets, hardware stores, outdoors stores and online. We particularly like those from Halfords, and they sell buckets and car vacuums too. You can shop online or in store, so it's ideal for shopping on Christmas Eve. Sure, that's when we all do our shopping, right?
For something a bit more entertaining how about a satnav system with built in Bluetooth, to which they can connect their phone and iPod? You can then create a special 'driving' playlist filled with both of your favourite songs thus making any journeys you take together that bit more pleasurable - you get to listen to great tunes and you minimise the chance of getting lost, which invariably leads to an argument. See, an entertaining and peace keeping gift all in one. When choosing a satnav system make sure that the software is updated regularly to keep on top of all the new roads, diversions and road works that pop up in your city and country. We like this Garmin nüvi 2569 LMT-D system, which offers a free lifetime subscription to traffic, speed camera and mapping updates. You can buy these in Currys, PC World and Halfords, both online and in store.
Does your car fan drive a banger? With the age of the Irish fleet at nearly nine years old (according to Cartell.ie), there is probably a good chance that their car has seen better days. Make sure they are prepared for any breakdowns or emergencies by creating them a unique hamper full of things like jump leads, a high visibility vest, torch, warning triangle, spare bulbs and a first aid kit. You can pack all of these items in a festive boot storage box, but make sure you get them a boot protector too, you know, because it is Christmas. A great website for buying all these types of items, and more, is MicksGarage.ie. If you miss the last online order day for Christmas, you can order and pick up from the warehouse in Dublin.
Driving enthusiasts love to go fast, but often our congested cities and laws prevent them from doing so. Let them indulge a little, from the safety of their own sofa, and get them a collection of really great car and driving movies on DVD (people still buy DVDs, right?). Start with the classics, Bullet, The French Connection, Le Mans, etc. and then move on to more contemporary films like Drive, Deathproof, The Italian Job and any of the Bond and Fast and Furious movies. There is also Thelma and Louise, Herbie, and the Knight Rider boxset. As popular as NetFlix is nowadays, you can't wrap that up and put it under a tree, but a DVD is easy-peasy to buy, wrap and enjoy (just make sure they still have a DVD player knocking around). Plus, you may get to curl up on the sofa with them and eat a box of Roses / Quality Street / Heroes (all of the above) and use this opportunity to catch up over the busy festive period and spend some quality time together. A gift yule both enjoy!
As mentioned, most petrolheads like to go fast but can't do so very often, so how about letting them loose on a race track? Track days are great fun, as are driving lessons. Who doesn't want to be a stunt driver for a day or learn advanced driving manoeuvres? Check out what Mondello Park and Rally School Ireland have on offer and then purchase a gift certificate and sure you may as well get yourself one too as these things are always enjoyed more when shared with another person. It's so much fun learning with each other, slagging each other off over how many cones you managed to hit and secretly hoping that you do better than one another. Plus, as much fun as these days are, you'll learn loads of new skills.
Let's face it, your petrolhead friend probably doesn't drive a million dollar sportscar and they can probably only ever dream of owning a Ferrari or other massively expensive motor. So, why not make their dreams come true, even if it is only for a few hours, and get them a supercar experience. Check out Super Cars on Demand; they have an impressive fleet including the McLaren 650S and the brand new Jaguar F-Type V8. Also check out Golden Moments Driving Experiences as they offer tank, F1 and other cool driving days out. Again, these can all be bought in time for Christmas online or over the phone.
Fancy turning your car nut's passion into a quick break away for the two of you? Why not book tickets to a car show or sport event? A weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is much more than just cars and is full of things to do like watch the hill climb, the air shows, concerts and lots of great food and drink and entertainment. Motor shows in Europe can be a cheap weekend away, if you can snag a cheap flight deal, and most of the car shows are in cool cities like Geneva and Frankfurt, which means there is plenty to do when you are done looking at all the cool new car porn.
And what do we want this Christmas? Well...
Dave wants to find this Lego Creator Expert replica Ferrari F40 under his tree, but Dave's house has no chimney, so Santa won't be able to deliver.
Neil hopes that Santa will bring him this Haynes Desktop Diary (with cutaway drawings) and the Cutaway Drawings Colouring Book; what Neil doesn't know is he is on the naughty list.
Shane wants one or all of these super cool prints from French artist Antoine Gaslais, but we all know that Shane is getting nothin, but coal in his Christmas stocking.
As for Melanie, sweet, brilliant Melanie, who is on the top of Santa's good list every year, well she wants this red heart necklace made from the metal of a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, because a real Ferrari would never fit in Santa's sack, obviously.
Ho,ho,ho.