The Best Holiday Gift Ideas for Car Lovers

This is a rather big ticket item and a premium gift, but we'd be amiss if it wasn't on our list. LEGO Technic is known for its lineup of complex building kits that are faithful recreations, often with moving parts and other fine details. Since the real Bugatti Chiron likely isn't on anyone's shopping list this year, we've opted for this one instead as a suggestion. It's a kit featuring 3,599 pieces and was developed in partnership with Bugatti itself. It boasts a classic duo-tone blue color scheme and when fully built, it's a 1:8-scale model with an active rear wing, eight-speed gearbox with paddle gear shift, W16 engine, steering wheel, suspension, and spoked rims. It even comes in luxurious box packaging with a collector's booklet, making it the ultimate gift for LEGO car lovers.

It's an old joke that will never go away, and this year it's your turn to say it. "Look, I got you a Ferrari!" If the price tag of the LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron had you shaking your head, consider this 275-piece LEGO Speed Champions kit. It's a replica of the Ferrari F8 Tributo and includes a collectible Ferrari racing driver minifigure. It's not as fancy or complex as LEGO Technic creations, but it's also a fraction of the price. A great gift idea for that young car enthusiast in your life who can't get behind the wheel just yet.

Hot Wheels are arguably still the go-to toys and collectibles for car enthusiasts, especially since they're so affordable. But what fun are figurines without a track to race them on? This Criss Cross Crash Motorized Track Set is a fan favorite, featuring intersections, hairpin turns, motorized boosters, and a massive crash zone. As an added bonus, this set also boasts plenty of parking spaces for convenient storage. It includes one Hot Wheels vehicle, over 16 feet of track, and a car feeder to get you going on your way to having fun.

You name it, there's probably a hat for it. Whether its allegiance to a specific automaker, or being a die-hard Formula 1 fan, there's a hat for every automotive enthusiast. Our pick is the Formula 1 2020 team hat for Mercedes-AMG Petronas, available in black or white. But there are of course dozens, if not hundreds, of options available online. If that one car lover in your life is always wearing a hat, consider getting one that matches their taste in cars.

Trust us when we say car enthusiasts can never have too much car cleaning and detailing supplies. For those who routinely wash and detail their own car, kits like these make for a great gift. Chemical Guys' Arsenal Kit is sold in several different variants, but we recommend this 16-piece kit due to its price and what all is included. You'll get Butter Wet Wax, Honeydew Snow Foam, Diablo Wheel Gel, Silk Shine Dressing, Signature Glass Cleaner, Speed Wipe Detailer, Detailing Bucket, Cyclone Dirt Trap, Torq Foam Blaster Foam Gun, microfiber wash mitt, short handle brush, four microfiber towels, and a dressing applicator. It's a great value and whoever ends up with this gift will think of you every time they wash their car!

Love the idea of getting car cleaning supplies as a gift, but want something on a budget? Check out Meguiar's Complete Car Care Kit, which is a six-piece detailing kit with the essentials. It starts with Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax, while the Meguiar's Perfect Clarity Glass Cleaner takes care of all the windows, mirrors, and windshields. It also includes a bottle of Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Detailer to touch up the car in between washes. The interior is handled by Quick interior Detailer Cleaner, while Hot Shine Tire Foam puts the finishing touches on a freshly washed car. Meguiar's also includes a premium microfiber towel, because car owners can never have enough microfiber towels.

This year has been a relatively quiet year for racing games, with the release of the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X consoles. Since developers are working hard on next-generation experiences, there isn't a must-have recommendation that's new for 2020 (Yes, we're aware of Project Cars 3, but we did say must-have recommendation). But if you're confident someone you know doesn't already own Forza Horizon 4, they should. It's one of the most complete open-world racing games out there, but it's exclusive to the Xbox One—so make sure they own that console. Read on to see our recommendations for other game consoles.

While the Forza series is exclusive to Xbox, the Gran Turismo series is exclusive to PlayStation. Sure, we could have put the latest Need for Speed game here or even Project Cars 3 if we're looking for a release from 2020, but if we're talking about quality, this is still the better recommendation. Again, you'll want to make sure whoever you're shopping for doesn't already own Gran Turismo Sport before purchasing a copy. The good news is, this title is now part of the PlayStation Hits lineup, making it more affordable than ever.

When it comes to racing games on the Nintendo Switch, there aren't as many options as you'd find on the Xbox or PlayStation consoles. So, yeah, we're taking the safe suggestion here and recommending Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It's still classic Mario Kart racing fun that you can't get elsewhere on any other platform, and if you think it's just for kids, think again. Just make sure they don't already own a copy, since it isn't exactly new.

A book is never a bad gift idea, even if the person you're shopping for isn't an avid reader. While there are hundreds to choose from, here's a recommendation if you don't have hours to spend on research. 100 Cars That Changed the World: The Designs, Engines, and Technologies That Drive our Imaginations is as its title suggests, a showcase of 100 cars from the Ford Model T to the Volkswagen Beetle, Dodge Caravan to the Tesla Model S. This hardcover book has 144 pages, filled with fancy photos of vehicles from the end of the nineteenth century to 2020.

Since it's holiday shopping season, that means the New Year is around the corner. Sure, these days everyone has a calendar a click away or in the palm of their hand from their phone, but nothing beats an old-fashioned wall calendar with awesome photography. From G.F. Williams is Supercars 2021, a 16-month wall calendar with stunning photos of supercars, including the Ferrari F40 and McLaren F1, along with machines from Bugatti, Pagani, and Koenigsegg. It's also a great motivator when you get distracted while working from home—just one glance at your wall calendar and you'll remember why you're working so hard.

While LEGO has clearly grown in popularity over the past few years, there are still some people who love putting together jigsaw puzzles. If you know of one such person, this is a great gift idea. It's a 108-piece plastic jigsaw puzzle, but it's a 3D rendition of the limited edition Porsche 911 R. When completed, it's 1:18 scale and even has functioning, rotating wheels. It's recommended for ages 10 and up.

We absolutely love this gift idea, as it's one of those items that everyone wants, but doesn't necessarily need. This mini fridge from Cooluli serves as both a cooler or warmer and weighs just four pounds. It's a classic 4-liter design, great to store foods, drinks, beer, and snacks. Both AC and DC power cords are included, as well as a USB cord, which means it can stay powered inside a vehicle.

It's available in black, blue, fuchsia, pink, red, white, and even a cow-patterned finish. A molded, inset top handle makes it convenient to carry this compact mini fridge in and out of a vehicle. It's capable of cooling down to 40-degrees Fahrenheit below ambient temperature and can warm up to 149-degrees Fahrenheit. Overall, it measures 7.6 inches (width) by 10.8 inches (height) by 10.25 inches (depth).

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