Buying presents for friends and family can be a stressful task, some people are very hard to buy for. It’s much easier, though, if you know what their main interests are. If, like me, they love their cars, you’re in luck because we’re here to help with this list containing 14 of the best presents for car lovers.
Obviously, some people are on a tighter budget than others but don’t worry, we’ll cover the full range, starting at the bottom end of the budget.
£0-50
1. Phone cases are always a solid choice for a cheap present. For as little as £5, you’ll find a simple phone case with their favourite manufacturer’s logo or a picture of their favourite car. Spend a bit more and you can get better quality cases, a rubber case designed to look like a tyre’s tread, for example. Very cool.
2. Key rings are just as good an option on a tight budget. Like phone cases, the manufacturer’s logo is a popular choice for a couple of quid. Again, though, spending a bit more money can definitely pay off. For £15, you can get the turbocharger key ring shown below – it actually spins and whistles, too!
3. Mugs – I’m a sucker for them. I don’t even drink hot drinks so I don’t actually know why I like them so much. They’re not at all expensive. My Golf GTI mug is my favourite and it only cost me a tenner. They can cost a bit more if they’re official merchandise but there are plenty of other options out there.
4. A good t-shirt will put a smile on anyone’s face. I spent £11 on a Land Rover Defender t-shirt for my father-in-law and he loves it, or at least I think he does… There are plenty of options – novelty ones, ones with logos on. If you want to spend upwards of £20, you can also get racing team merchandise if they’re into motorsport.
5. Remote control cars are cool. Slightly childish, but still cool. Let’s be honest, it’s the closest most of us will come to driving our dream super cars. You can spend a fortune on petrol powered R/C cars that do a million miles an hour but for £30-45, you’ll be able to get your car loving friend a nice little Audi R8 LMS or something like that.
6. If whoever you’re buying for takes pride in their car, car care kits like Autoglym are an excellent present. For £30-40 you’ll be able to buy a decent kit that’ll have their car gleaming inside and out.
7. If it’s a gamer you’re buying for, there are plenty of racing games that will keep them entertained for hours. Forza Horizon 4, Project Cars and WRC 5 are just a few options. They’ll cost you £40-45. You could even get a second-hand PS2 with a classic game like Gran Turismo 3 or Need for Speed: Underground.
£50-100
8. A day out go-karting is a great present for about £50. There are go-karting tracks everywhere and you even have the choice of indoor or outdoor centres. I personally prefer outdoor because the karts tend to be a bit more powerful and it’s more of an authentic racing experience. I’ve spent a lot of time at the Daytona circuit in Milton Keynes – I would highly recommend it if you’re in the area.
9. Race tickets can cost anywhere from £50-100. Formula 1 is only in the country once a year, as is the World Rally Championship. There are plenty of national championships, however, the most popular being the British Touring Car Championship. It’s an excellent day out and a great present.
10. Does the car guy or girl you’re buying for like getting their hands dirty and working on their own cars? Buy them some tools! £100 spent at Halfords will buy a decent set of spanners and some sockets, too. If you’re not sure on exactly what to buy, just get them a voucher and let them enjoy choosing their own.
£100-200
11. Car parts go hand-in-hand with the tools, I guess. Whether their car has broken or they want to modify their car, there are plenty of parts that fall into the £100-200 price range. Most brake and suspension components are around that price, even some parts of the engine or body. There are plenty of places to buy them from, too. Genuine parts can be bought from main dealers. Non-genuine parts are cheaper and can be bought from places like Euro Car Parts.
12. Personalised number plates are a great gift for someone who wants something a bit different or “to take the age off the car” as some people say. Decent examples start at about £150 but people spend thousands on the most sought after registrations. It is worth noting that once you’ve bought a personalised registration, there is an £80 fee to register it with the DVLA.
£200+
13. Kind of going back to the gaming idea, a good steering wheel setup can make it much more fun. You can get Logitech steering wheels for about £250 on Amazon – spending another £75-100 on a decent stand makes it the perfect setup.
14. A track day experience is the ultimate in presents for car lovers. Starting at around £200-250, you could find yourself behind the wheel of an Aston Martin or Lamborghini driving at 150mph around your favourite track. Unless you’re incredibly well off and can afford to buy one of these cars, this is probably the only way you’ll ever get to experience anything like this. I’m yet to do one myself but it’s definitely on the bucket list.
That concludes my list of the best presents for car lovers. Will you be buying a loved one any of these gifts? Have you been tempted into buying any of these for yourself? I know I have! Let us know what you think of the list and even any of your suggestions in the comments section below.
This post is sponsored by NewReg.co.uk.
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