Must-have gifts for the evo reader and their car this Christmas
Christmas is fast inbound, so if you’re looking for a gift idea for the petrolhead in your life or want some suggestions to give others, we’re here to help with a selection of potential presents.
Below we have 19 gifts suiting budgets of all sizes, featuring everything from tools to dash cams and watches.
Take a look below for some festive inspiration.
Driving an older car doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the latest infotainment technology. The Pioneer SPH-DA360DAB will fit most cars with a double-DIN head unit slot, and comes packed with features to make journeys less stressful and more enjoyable. It comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, DAB+ radio, Wi-Fi, a Bluetooth handsfree system and a 13-band graphic equaliser to help tailor the sound system to your choice. All of these functions are easily accessible via a fast and responsive 6.8-inch capacitive touchscreen that allows the use of multi-touch gestures including pinch to zoom
Price: £439.99
Visit pioneer-car.eu/uk/products
A Christmas sock gift with a difference, a set of AutoSocks is an easy way to keep moving safely in snowy conditions. They’re quick and easy to fit over your wheels and tyres, and once in place will maximise grip and traction to help boost progress on slippery surfaces, such as snow
Price: From £49.95
Visit autosockdirect.co.uk
Take your car cleaning regime to the next level with a Nilfisk Core 140 pressure washer. Capable of delivering up to 140 bar, it can cover areas of up to 40m2 per hour and comes with four car cleaning nozzles, a super foam sprayer and a car brush. It’s practical, too, thanks to the internal reel, six-metre anti-kink hose and included trolley for increased mobility.
Price: From £169.91
Visit amazon.co.uk
You’ll have the sound of chattering wastegates in your head as you lap the Scalextric 1980s Grand Prix Race Set’s 5.3 metres of track. In the box are two iconic cars from the early years of Ayrton Senna’s career – the black and gold Lotus 98T, and the striking yellow 99T. The Brazilian drove the cars for the 1986 and 1987 seasons respectively, chalking up four wins in that time before switching to McLaren for 1988. The set has everything you need to get going, including speed-limited hand controllers, crash barriers and a lap counter.
Price: £159.99
Visit uk.scalextric.com
The FREE T4 from leatherman is one tool to rule them all. In its stylish and durable stainless steel case are 12 tools, each of which features magnetic opening and closing for smooth, fast access. All are accessible from the outside, meaning they can be opened or closed with one hand, and all other than the plier head locks into place for safe operation. The FREE T4 includes multiple screwdrivers, a 20HC knife, a pry tool, a bottle opener, a wood/metal file and much more. It’s made in the USA and is available in six different colours
Price: From £79.95
Visit leatherman.co.uk
A timepiece intrinsically tied to the world of motoring, the MHD Daily Driver was designed in the UK by Matthew Humphries, who became the Morgan Motor Company’s chief designer at the age of 21. The watch uses various automotive design cues, with an exoskeleton chassis case and signature dial graphics among the aesthetic highlights. It’s powered by Seiko’s VK64 Hybrid Meca-Quartz movement, giving it the best of both worlds – the accuracy of quartz combined with a mechanical movement for the 60-minute chronograph. A versatile watch, it’s ideal whether the recipient is after a daily wearer or a piece reserved for special occasions.
Price: £395
Visit mhdwatches.com
The classic Christmas gift of socks can be given a petrolhead theme thanks to Heel Tread. No matter which area of the automotive world you or your loved one is interested in, Heel Tread has something suitable – perhaps a pair adorned with BMW M stripes, the iconic Volkswagen Golf GTI plaid check or the famed ‘Hippie’ livery of the Porsche 917. Individual pairs are available, along with gift packs of various prices and sizes, making Heel Tread socks a suitable gift for all budgets. They’re designed and produced in Portugal, using seamless knitting to create high-quality, comfortable socks that’ll last.
Price: From £10.50
Visit heeltread.com
Give a gift that keeps on giving this Christmas with a subscription to Evo Magazine. You can treat someone special to a gift subscription – a thoughtful present that will last all year. At just £24.99 for 6 issues, or £45.99 for 12. Each month we will send the latest issue – packed full of features on the world’s most desirable cars – directly to the subscriber’s letterbox
Price: From £24.99
Visit subscribe.evo.co.uk
Give your desk a petrolhead makeover with this wound coil ST pen holder. The high-quality, precision-milled spring is available in a variety of colours and will suit all sorts of writing implements. Order before the end of the year and you’ll get a free pen.
Price: £30
Visit kwsuspensions.co.uk/shop
Leather interiors look great and feel premium, but it’s vital to take care of the material to keep it at its best for years to come. The Q²M LeatherSet Mild from GYEON has everything needed to do just that. Included is Q²M LeatherCleaner Mild, which is suitable for regular use and easily lifts grime from the leather surface. Once clean, Q²M LeatherCoat adds a protective layer to repel liquid and dirt, ensuring the leather is easier to clean next time.
Meanwhile, those looking to try GYEON products for the first time will find everything they need in the Q²M Experience Set. It covers a multitude of cleaning jobs with nine sample-sized Q²M products that are large enough to get a good feel for their performance before committing to bigger sizes. Included in the pack is Q²M WetCoat, Q²M CeramicDetailer, Q²M Iron, Q²M Tire Express, and many more.
Price: From £29
Visit cleanyourcar.co.uk
All grooming needs are catered for in one go with the Manscaped Performance Package 4.0. The headline here is the Lawn Mower 4.0, Manscape’s latest trimmer featuring a cutting-edge ceramic blade that helps to reduce grooming accidents thanks to its SkinSafe Technology. The waterproof trimmer also has a multi-function on/off switch that also acts as a travel lock.
It’d be an excellent gift on its own, but in the great value Performance Package 4.0, it’s bundled with the Weed Whacker nose and ear trimmer. The Whacker operates at 9,000rpm – a number that’ll chime with evo readers – and also uses SkinSafe Technology, in this case to help prevent nicks, snags and tugs for a pleasant trimming experience. Sealing the deal are two special liquid formulations, both of which are enhanced by soothing aloe vera. Also included is a ‘Shed’ travel bag to ensure you remain just as well-groomed when on the move.
Price: £120
Visit manscaped.com
Helping the recipient keep their pride and joy impeccably clean, the Autoglym Supreme Car Care Collection is suitable for a variety of detailing needs. Inside the smart zipped satchel are nine cleaning products, including Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner, Super Resin Polish and Rapid Ceramic Spray, plus a microfibre wash mitt and Hi-Tech Finishing and AquaDry cloths. It’s excellent value, too, with the collection representing a massive saving of nearly £60 compared with buying each of the items separately.
Price: £80
Visit autoglym.com/products
An even more accurate successor to the acclaimed Elite 2, the AlcoSense Elite 3 is an easy-to-use breathalyser that’ll quickly check you’re clear of alcohol the morning after. Thanks to a premium semiconductor sensor the Elite 3 can show its colour-coded results in seconds with a choice of either mg/L or %BAC. A memory recall feature also lets users check through the previous nine results, and it’s possible to select limits for regions. Finally, all this functionality is contained in a sleek, lightweight package which fits discreetly in your pocket.
Price: £69.99
Visit alcosense.co.uk/elite3
Avoid the anguish of kerbed wheels with Rimblades. These protective devices attach to your wheel rims using an easy-fit DIY system with high-bond 3M tape, and are available in 12 different colours. The protective strips fit wheels up to 24 inches in diameter, ensuring even those with the biggest rims can help preserve their condition.
Price: From £25
Visit rimblades.com
The multiple award-winning Overland and Overland+ can jump-start any engine up to a capacity of 5.0 litres and can recharge via either a mains plug, a 12-volt in-car socket or from optional fold-out solar panels.
Price: From £79.95
Visit mobilesolarchargers.co.uk
Providing excellent defence against insurance fraud, Nextbase’s Elite dash cam bundle includes everything you need for all-round protection. Included is the multi-award-winning 622GW dash cam, which features Amazon Alexa compatibility and records in crisp 4K resolution with image stabilisation for great detail. It’s also the world’s first dash cam to use what3words – a potentially life-saving feature that pinpoints your location to a three-metre square. Use code NBEVO10 at nextbase.com for an exclusive 10 per cent discount.
Price: £369
Visit nextbase.com
The new CS One from CTEK is a simple, buttonless unit that offers hassle-free charging technology. Its APTO (adaptive charging) system does all the thinking for you – there’s no need to worry about battery type, size or even positive and negative clamps, so it’s extremely safe and easy to use. The spark and polarity free clamps will automatically recognise positive and negative terminals so you’ll never make a wrong connection again. It automatically delivers charging and conditioning programmes for any 12V lead-acid or lithium battery, without the need to select modes or press any buttons. Plus, a countdown display shows how long it’ll be until you can use the battery, while a temperature sensor can alter the charging rate to suit cold or hot conditions.
Price: £219
Visit ctek.com
Roue’s TPS watch serves as a tribute to the 910, the racer which Porsche used to claim a previously elusive ‘home victory’ at the Nürburgring 1000km. The win came after seven years of trying at the iconic circuit, and the achievement is marked with an embossed 910 on the watch’s rear casing. The TPS features a triple-layer constructed dial and pre-colour-set leather ‘Driver’ and ‘Sports’ silicone interchangeable straps. The watch is available in six different, exquisite forms – starting with the ‘Panda’-style TPS One – each of which is limited to 1000 pieces.
Price: £250
Visit rouewatch.com
A total of 77 tracks have held a Formula 1 Grand Prix, and they’re all extensively detailed in the new second edition of Formula 1 Circuits, which has been updated to include recently added venues. Written by award-winning journalist Maurice Hamilton, it features intriguing stories, statistics, corner names and more for each of the GPs, starting with Monza, the oldest track on the calendar, going right the way up to the latest, Miami. The book is beautifully illustrated with photographs from throughout F1’s history and includes a foreword from three-time champion Jackie Stewart, plus digital maps of every circuit.
Price: £30
Visit collins.co.uk/F1Circuits
Keyword: evo Christmas essentials gift guide