That's a Wrap: 10 gift ideas for the gearhead on your list

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Everybody has a car enthusiast in their life. It could be a husband or wife, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or an aunt or an uncle. And, sooner or later, you’re going to have to buy them Christmas present with an automotive theme.

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But what if you don’t know anything about cars? What if your understanding of the motored vehicle is limited to the pushing of pedals and steering of wheel? How do you know what is cheesy (or maybe we should say oily) versus a choice that shows how much care went into your gift selection?

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That's a Wrap: 10 gift ideas for the gearhead on your list Back to video

Well, that’s what Driving is for. We are the gift-giving gurus for the automotive neophyte, our research painstaking so yours doesn’t have to be. So, here’s our 2020 compilation of all the stocking stuffers, large and small, cheerful and not so cheap, so you can quickly tick yet another box off your Xmas to-do list.

Cover those keys

I’m a huge fan of key covers. Loose keys are murder on interiors and bodywork. Belroy’s Key Cover offers the perfect solution by covering your errant keys, nicely tucked into a soft leather pouch that features one outside ring to hook up your car’s bulky electronic remote. Easy on the paint and almost heavenly to the touch, this key fob par excellence is also convenient to use since the keys hinge out like the blades of a pocketknife.

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Available in two sizes — the Standard holds one bundle of keys; the Plus, two — Belroy’s Key Cover starts at US$55. Oh, and by the way, if your gearhead is a biker, KodaKey has a fob specifically designed to prevent scratching of their motorcycle’s triple clamp.

I gotta get me one of those

I haven’t tested one of these yet – you can bet your sweet bibby that I’m gonna get my hands on one soon – but Garmin’s new Catalyst Driving Performance Optimizer sounds like every Lewis Hamilton wannabe’s wet, I mean, digital dream. Essentially, by combining the data gleaned from a built-in accelerometer and a (supplied) high definition camera, the Optimizer can build a predictive map of the track you’re racing around on plus the lines and speed you should be carrying through corners. It is, quite literally, an algorithm for the perfect lap.

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In fact, that’s one of its many functions, the ability to combine your best times through various sections of each track and give you a “perfect” lap time to shoot for (if only you don’t miss the apex at Moss’ corner again). Better yet, it will actually “coach” you through corners in real time (sort of like a normal GPS does in guiding you though town, only at what we hope is a much slower rate of speed). The Catalyst is expensive – $1,399.99 on Garmin’s site though I have seen it for $1,278.17 on Amazon.ca – but this will be the ultimate Yuletide cadeaux for your track warrior.

Your morning spark(plug)

If your motorsports maven is more of an armchair athlete, allow us to suggest a healthy roast of Sparkplug Coffee . What better way to wake up to the Formula 1 race from Monaco than with a steaming cup of Bullit Custom Dark, Sparkplug’s “strongest and boldest blend.” If they watch MotoGP, motorcycling’s F1 equivalent, sample the medium roast Kickstart.

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And, if you’re all heading out for the open road, try Road Trip. It is a naturally sweet Ethiopian bean, promoted by Sparkplug as their “most delicate coffee.” There are even “Easy Rider” options, including Low Voltage (half the jolt) and Unleaded (totally decaffeinated). Best of all, Sparkplug will ship your motorized java to you free of charge. Prices range from the low to mid 20-dollar range for 300 grams. Not exactly cheap but what price can be placed on a cherished gearhead full of vim and vigour?

Charging is the point

What if your motoring maniac is one of the legion of EVers who is so over internal combustion? Well, perhaps a Level II home charger from ChargePoint would be appropriate. Able to charge as many as 60 kilometres in an hour, the 240 Volt Home Flex system supports currents as high as 50 amps but is adjustable down to as low as 16A depending on your home’s circuitry. One thing to note is the ChargePoint will require a dedicated circuit all to itself and should be installed by a licensed electrician.

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Making the ChargePoint especially versatile is while it can be hardwired right into your home’s electrical infrastructure, it can also be plugged into NEMA 6-50 (commonly used for welders and plasma cutters) or NEMA 14-50 (used for electric ovens) so it can be switched between home and cottage depending on the season. ChargePoint systems go for $1,049 from PlugandDrive.ca but remember British Columbia residents are eligible for up to $750 in subsidization and Quebec EVers as much as $600. Installation costs depend on whether you have a brother-in-law who’s handy with a voltmeter.

Stylin’ while driving

Wanna to be stylin’ while driving? How about a pair of mondo-trendy Piloti driving shoes? No longer looking like clunky out of fashion sneakers, racing shoes are now the height of designer footwear. But despite being ready for the catwalk, every Piloti shoe still has a round heel to improve articulation in the “pedal box,” a sole with smooth edges to avoid catching when transitioning between pedals, and a soft forefoot for maximum pedal feel under acceleration and braking. They even incorporate a steel torsion bar for improved foot “stability.”

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There’s lots of different styles available but, if you’re feeling especially generous, why not buy matching his (Avenue) and hers (Vittoria) versions, just so – you know – everyone sees how truly precious you really are. Available from Piloti Canada.

Sleep with the stars

At the polar opposite end of the spectrum — as in completely useful, but not even remotely stylish — is Roofnest’s Falcon tent which bolts atop your car or SUV. No, it’s not just for storage; you actually sleep atop your car. Roofnest even supplies a little ladder which clips to the back so you can climb aboard. Before you mock the idea of sleeping on your Outback’s roof, think about this: sleeping atop your Subie means that a) the tent floor is always flat, b) it’s not lumpy and, most importantly, c) while perched high above the ground in your tree – I mean, car fort – you won’t fall prey to animals foraging for food in the night.

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The Falcon is 4-foot wide and a little over 7-foot long when deployed, so it will fit two comfortably as long as they are, as they used to say in politer times, well acquainted. A fully-equipped falcon will cost you US$3,395.00 from roofnest.com. And yes, I know how many nights at Motel 6 that would buy. But hey, you wouldn’t have the luxury of freezing your patootie off or getting your ass bitten raw by mosquitos.

Why do we drive?

I haven’t read this book yet, but I have ordered Matthew Crawford’s Why We Drive: On Freedom, Risk and Taking back Control as my automotive gift to myself. I normally don’t read “self-help” books but Crawford’s previous works – The Case for Working with Your Hands: Or Why Office Work Is Bad For Us and Fixing Things Feels Good  and The World Beyond Your Head: How to Flourish in an Age of Distraction – speak to my inner anarchist. Nor do I put much trust in literary reviews.

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But when the Sunday Times panned it as having “a whiff of male vanity” while lamenting “a petrolhead” daring to call for “a more individualist state,” you know I had to buy two copies, right? Anything that can piss off the progressives and celebrate speeding tickets at the same time has got to be a good read. Look for a review of Why We Drive here on Driving soon.

An internal look at internal combustion

What are you going to get the aspiring gearhead in your life? That 12-year-old who lives and breathes old Corvettes and smokey Youtube burnouts? How about Revell’s Visible V8 engine ? I know internal combustion is so passé , but what better way to learn about something that is about to become part of history than with a see-through V8 with working pistons and crankshaft?

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A hand crank turns, well, the crankshaft which then operates pistons, camshafts, rocker arms, and valves in one syncopated demonstration of internal combustion (without the explosions, of course). Even the (rubber) fan belt and the ignition distributor work. Revell says this is skill level model 3 model suitable for a 12-year-old. In other words, it won’t confuse dad or mom when they try to help build it. Available from Amazon for $104.99.

Bankrupt friends and family alike

What’s that? Your entire family is comprised of gearheads? Even the seven-year-old? Then may I suggest any one of the many auto-themed Monopoly games available on Amazon. There’s one for NACAR fans (NASCAR Collector’s Edition), another for pony car fans (the Mustang 40 ^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) and even one that replicates then world famous Nurburgring (though that one is unfortunately only available in German).

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There’s even a Snap-on version for the budding mechanic looking to bankrupt his siblings with $75 towing charges and $200 gas-guzzler taxes. Prices range from US$40 to almost $400 so be sure you really want to spend that much time en famille .

Boring but oh so practical

And finally, it wouldn’t be a proper automotive Christmas gift guide if we didn’t include a listing for something practical like Noco’s “Genius” Battery Jump Starters . For for that special someone you just know will eventually be left stranded by a dead battery, Noco’s jump starters are essentially compact, super powerful lithium-ion battery packs, some barely bigger than a plus-sized Apple iPhone and all small enough to fit in a car’s centre console.

There are Nocos energetic enough to start 8.0-litre gas engines (the 2,000-amp GB70) all the way down to the 400-amp GB20 designed to jump start little four-bangers. The genius aspect to the Nocos is that not only will they boost your car’s dead battery but they will also charge your iPhone and serve as a flashlight while searching for your Mercedes’ hidden battery terminals. The GB40 starts at $94.97 on Amazon while the King Kong-like GB70 retails for $259.99.