See all Motoring AdviceIt’s that time of the year again, when the stress is on to buy some meaningful gifts for the loved ones in your life. And if you’ve got a petrolhead in the family and you’re really worried about what to get them for Christmas, then we’ve collated some of our favourite ideas to save you the hassle of searching.
Lego Icons Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole
Lego’s car kits are getting more and more realistic and desirable by the year, and now the 1980s poster machine – the Lamborghini Countach – has been rendered in blocky brick form. Actually, Lego does a much smaller and more affordable kit than this latest example, which costs around €190 from various places online. But if you want a star gift, then the 1,506-piece kit is the one to go for. It’ll provide hours of construction fun and, once it’s complete, you’re left with a super-accurate model complete with the 5000 QV’s signature delta-wing, T-bar spoiler, its massive wheel arches stuffed with circle-studded wheels, and of course the requisite quad exhausts at the back. Oh, and proper scissor doors, too. > Buy Here
Collecting Cars X Tamiya GR Yaris
Combining the cool-factor of a radio-controlled (R/C) model with the fabled online auction house of Collecting Cars – a place which specialises in selling true automotive exotica – this GR Yaris is well worth having. But move fast, because there are only 25 kits of the car, which is based on Tamiya’s proven M-05 chassis. Intriguingly, the Collecting Cars R/C GR Yaris is based on a full-sized vehicle owned by the auctioneers. That in turn pays homage to an old Tamiya R/C model called the ‘Sand Scorcher’, which first appeared in 1979 and was then reissued in 2010. To that end, the bespoke graphics included with the R/C Yaris make it look like the full-sized homage car, so it’s kind of like life imitating art imitating life again. The slight issue is that the limited-edition Tamiya GR Yaris kit costs around €395… and there are only 25 of them available, on a first-come, first-served basis. > Buy Here
Bowers & Wilkins McLaren Px8 noise-cancelling headphones
A really high-quality set of noise-cancelling headphones is an essential for those listening to audio on the go, and there are few better companies for sound systems than Bowers & Wilkins. Here, the company is leveraging its link to McLaren, one of the very many high-end automotive manufacturers for which B&W provides in-car audio set-ups, with this Px8 set of cans. They’re finished in Galvanic Grey with contrasting Papaya Orange detailing, which is McLaren’s corporate colour that is used for the carmaker’s 2024 F1 entries, and then there’s also a McLaren logo discreetly included on the headband. Such quality doesn’t come cheap, though, as the Px8s retail at about €845. > Buy Here
Gran Turismo 7, PS5
It’s not a new gift, but if your tame petrolhead has a PlayStation 5 and somehow hasn’t got Gran Turismo 7 yet, you need to rectify that. Immediately. The latest instalment in the legendary driving simulation series is super-rich in content (which is updated on a monthly basis with new cars, challenges and even tracks) and looks better than it ever has, with hyper-realistic vehicle modelling and nearly spot-on driving dynamics. Some fans lament the fact that GT7 doesn’t have proper damage, with the cars showing scuffs and dents, but not ever degenerating to the point they’re undriveable if you keep smashing them into walls and such, but aside from that the game is utterly magnificent and provides years’ worth of entertainment. If your loved one has an Xbox, you’ll need Forza Motorsport instead, but like the battle between Apple and Android smartphones, you’ve got to come down on one side of the fence or the other – and we’re firmly in the Gran Turismo camp. Best news is, it’s only around €40 at the moment. > Buy Here
Ferrari (Blu-ray/4K)
Directed by Michael Mann and starring the always-excellent Adam Driver as ‘old man’ Enzo Ferrari, this biopic tells the story of the fabled Italian supercar company during its relative infancy in 1957. In dire financial straits as a result of its Formula 1 activities, Ferrari is attempting to get full control of the company’s shares out of his estranged wife Laura, brilliantly played by Penelope Cruz. It’s an absorbing tale centred around that year’s Mille Miglia race and features further supporting roles from Shailene Woodley and Gabriel Leone. Prices are typically less than €20 online, so Ferrari would make for a great stocking-filler or starter gift for a petrolhead.
Petrolthreads tees
It might not be the sort of weather for a T-shirt, but Christmas gifts are for life, not just… er, Christmas, so why not buy one of Petrolthreads’ superb car-related items for a motoring fanatic? There are more than 650 designs and styles, featuring iconic vehicles from throughout automotive history, so there should be something in Petrolthreads’ catalogue of products which will satisfy even the hyper-brand-loyal car fan. The company does all of men’s, women’s and children’s tees, in sizes from small to double-X large, and for an extra €6 or €12, you can even turn the garments into long-sleeved shirts or hoodies (respectively). > Buy Now
Boring Car Trivia 4
Written by the man who made Top Gear and latterly The Grand Tour funny over the years, Richard Porter, the latest instalment in the Boring Car Trivia series is another cracker full of utterly tedious facts about cars. There’s obviously humour in just how dry and dull these titbits are, and if your petrolhead hasn’t got editions 1-3 yet, you could add those into the fourth book for a more substantial gift. But BCT4 is only €8.50 online, so it’s a perfect little ‘top-up’ gift for the car lover in your life. > Buy here