If the usual Christmas shopping rush already has us spending more time in queues than when we’re trying to get away from the beaches of Costa de Caparica, then this year’s pandemic backdrop has only made matters worse.
To save time, nothing beats having a solid plan for what you’re going to buy. With that in mind, we’ve put together a selection of Christmas present suggestions for petrolheads of every age.
The idea is that you’ll be as efficient in any retail park or shopping centre as a proper sports car is on a twisty mountain road-so you can get back home quickly and safely, and still have more time to catch up on the news we bring you every day.
Lego Technic
It’s basically tradition at this point. Talking about gifts for petrolheads without including the brilliantly complete (and sometimes genuinely complex) Lego Technic kits is almost sacrilege-and we’re still huge fans of these sets.
As we’ve come to expect, the Danish brand unveiled more kits this year, and we picked three: the Jeep Wrangler, the famous Ecto-1 from the Ghostbusters films, and a Ferrari 488 GTE.
The Jeep is the most affordable of the trio at 49,99 euros. The Cadillac Miller-Meteor, immortalised in Hollywood as the Ghostbusters’ vehicle of choice, comes in at 199,99 dollars (164,48 euros). As for the Ferrari 488 GTE-a faithful replica of the race car-although it will only be available on 1 January (you can always give it as a Three Kings’ Day present, as is common in Spain), it will be priced at 179,99 euros.
Hyundai electric ride-on car
There’s no better way to nurture a future petrolhead than to get them behind the wheel of their own “car” from an early age. Hyundai clearly agrees, having shrunk its 45 Concept-previewing the first EV from its new IONIQ brand and introducing the Hyundai Group’s dedicated E-GMP electric platform-into its smallest electric model.
Designed to delight younger drivers, this mini Hyundai 45 Concept uses two electric motors and can reach speeds of up to 7 km/h. Pricing, however, remains unknown.
Doc Brown’s DeLorean owner’s manual
Known for producing some of the most comprehensive car instruction and maintenance manuals, Britain’s Haynes decided to work its “magic” on one of Hollywood’s best-known cars: Doc Brown’s DeLorean from the Back to the Future series.
Titled "Back to the Future. DeLorean Time Machine: Owner’s Workshop Manual", the book shares a range of secrets about the iconic car in its two forms-road-going and flying-and includes detailed images covering countless features and components.
Scheduled for release on 30 March next year, it’s already available to pre-order on Amazon for just 29,99 dollars (24,67 euros).
Amalgam Ferrari 330 P4 Le Mans
Continuing its habit of producing high-end models, Amalgam has unveiled a miniature of the Ferrari 330 P4 that raced at Le Mans in 1967 (yes, one of the years dominated by the Ford GT40).
Limited to 100 units, this 1:18-scale model is exceptionally detailed, even featuring the wear marks the car picked up over 24 hours of intense competition.
Created from a digital scan of the only perfect example of the Ferrari 330 P4, the miniature reproduces with total accuracy the Ferrari that crossed the finish line at Le Mans in 1967.
Available to pre-order now, this 1:18 Ferrari 330 P4 costs 1358 dollars (1117,57 euros)-decidedly one for the most demanding collector-and it comes with extras such as a protective case, a certificate of authenticity, and more.
Sony PlayStation 5
One of this year’s biggest tech launches, the Sony PlayStation 5 (aka PS5) is a genuinely versatile gift. Not only does it suit anyone who isn’t into cars, but it can also be a real treat for petrolheads.
All it takes is firing up games such as DIRT 5 (priced between 49,99 and 69,99 euros) or WRC 9 (59,99 euros). Alternatively, you can wait a little longer for the newest generation of the “everlasting” Gran Turismo-Gran Turismo 7-currently set to arrive in 2021.
The only snag with this present seems to be actually finding a PS5, because, apparently, they’ve been selling like “hot cakes”.
We hope these Christmas present ideas help you deal with the festive “stress” of tracking down that… perfect gift-even if it’s for yourself.
And if you’re still struggling to unwind at this time of year, we hear that reading-and also watching and listening (on YouTube)-to Automotive Reason helps. From our team, we wish you Happy Holidays!
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