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| Gifts for Autophiles |
November 11, 2004 |
By Paul Williams
The holiday season is fast approaching, and those with a car junkie on their list may remember last year’s television commercial from luxurycar maker Jaguar in which a scale model of a Jaguar S-Type is given as a gift, followed by the real thing sitting in the driveway.
If the Jaguar is a bit too extravagant, a week-long Hummer rental will certainly brighten someone’s day. And we present a bunch of other ideas guaranteed to turn your significant other’s crank.
TAG HEUER CHRONOGRAPHS
Long-associated with motorsports, the signature style for Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer is the chronograph.
Original Heuer chronographs are collector’s items, but the company has reissued several of its most famous models, any of which would make a superb gift.
The Autavia (whose name comes from a combination of automobile and aviation), the Carrera, Monaco and Monza (from international races of the same name)
now form part of TAG Heuer’s successful “Classics” series. Although these are mechanical watches that retain the look of the older designs, they are slightly bigger than the originals and feature the latest movements and materials in their construction.
If you love the precision, complexity and history associated with these pieces, but prefer something more modern in appearance, TAG Heuer’s Microtimer is the first digital watch capable of measuring time to 1/1,000 second. Striking in its design, and like a car with much more performance than you’ll ever need, the Microtimer is a device for people with a passion for timepieces, and a fascination with micro-technology.
The Carrera, Monaco and Microtimer are available for women and men; the Monza and Autavia for men only. Prices start at $3,400 for the Microtimer and $4,100 for the Carrera chronograph ($2,600 for the non-chronograph, GMT dual-time version).
GPS AIDS
On-board navigation systems for cars are becoming commonplace in higher-priced vehicles, but there are some very effective portable, aftermarket devices available.
For the traveller, salesperson or for those who just need some help getting around, the $1,699 Magellan RoadMate 700 duplicates most of the features of factory navigation systems, and you can easily move it from vehicle to vehicle.
The RoadMate 700 affixes to the inside of your windshield with a strong suction cup, and plugs into a 12V-power point. Turn it on and you’re ready to go.
The unit features a 10GB hard disk that contains maps of the U.S. and Canada, plus useful points of interest like gas stations, ABMs and hospitals. A bright colour monitor displays your location, and the device uses touch-screen technology to key in destinations. Voice guidance (English or French)
is provided en route.
It’s surprising how quickly one gets used to having this technology in the car.
CAMERAS FOR THE ROAD
While you’re travelling, you may wish to take pictures. Several Canadian automotive journalists use the Pentax Optio as a handy backup or sometimes
as their main machine.
The latest version, the S5i, was released in September.
It’s hard to believe you can get such quality out of tiny cameras like these — the face of the camera is actually smaller than a credit card — but with a resolution of 4 or 5 megapixels and 3X optical zoom, the Optio S4 and S5i excel at flash photography in low-light conditions, movies and extreme close-ups.
Although they lack some of the controls and flexibility of a professional- grade camera, magazine- quality images are not beyond their ability. Plus
they’re small enough to slip into your pocket.
As well as being great performers, these cameras have a hightech metallic sheen and tactile quality, like they were carved out of a block of stainless
steel, which is appealing to both technophiles and autophiles. The 5.0 megapixel Pentax Optio S5i retails for $599.99.
REALLY MOBILE NOTEBOOK
When your camera fills up or you want to hook up at an Internet café to send your pictures to friends, pull out the Sony Vaio X505. It’s one of the smallest, lightest, sleekest notebook computers on the market.
This device oozes technical sophistication and design artistry. Its nickel alloy or genuine carbon- fibre case is a thin 9.7mm at the front to 21.9mm at
t h e b a c k.
Weighing a mere 785 grams, and measuring 256mm x 208mm, the Vaio X505/SP instantly eliminates your computer mobility issues.
Inside, a one-gigahertz Pentium M microprocessor powers a motherboard about the size of a mini-disc. The Sony Vaio X505 series starts at $4,199.
AUTOMOTIVE ART
For pictures of another kind, numerous automotive artists produce exceptional works celebrating the design, history and culture of the car. From Ancaster, Ont.’s Chris Phillips, who specializes in meticulous renderings of classic, sports and racing cars, to Lassare, Que.’s Alain Levesque and
his signature stylistic evocations of modern and vintage vehicles, a piece of art is sure to be well received as a gift.
Both these award-winning artists sell prints or original works, with prints starting at $100 and originals at $500.
BMW SCOOTER
If you’re looking for something more active, the SlideCarver, created at BMW’s DesignWorks USA, is a clever take on current trends in personal mobility. More a fun piece and design exercise, the threewheeled scooter is, however, a serious performer.
It has an adjustable handlebar, articulating suspension pieces from the running gear of the BMW 5-Series, and, most interestingly, disc brakes
with vented and cross-drilled rotors front and rear.
In use, the SlideCarver smartly picks up speed and pivots from side to side as the rider negotiates corners. It will even oversteer if handled properly (BMW recommends wearing a helmet when riding the SlideCarver). The beautifully rendered five-spoke alloy wheels, slick tires, metallic red brake callipers and allaluminium construction make the $1,000 Slide Carver much more than a toy.
For even more excitement, BMW’s futuristic StreetCarver ($798) adds a fourth wheel, but loses the handlebar. Both are available at BMW dealerships.
MANUFACTURER GIFTS
Most automobile manufacturers now carry a line of lifestyle items including clothes, wristwatches, models, luggage, sporting goods and office accessories. Porsche, for instance, has its own Porsche Design line of lifestyle products. All the major companies, especially the luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Cadillac and Jaguar, now have online stores or departments at the dealerships where you can purchase gifts.
The Porsche Cayenne Nubuck leather jacket ($398 in sizes S-XXL) from the “Driver’s Selection,” for instance, is a stylish weekend or evening jacket discreetly branded with the Porsche logo on the zipper.
From Mercedes-Benz, “The Collection” offers travel cases, outerwear, jewellery and a distinctive leather and chrome change purse for women, along with a wardrobe of clothes and accessories for men that includes golf gear and a classic made in Canada black leather car coat for $598. Jaguar offers similar lifestyle items, but if you want the real thing, a 390-horsepower, 2005 S-Type “R” car (you might as well go for the best) is available for $89,950.
Should the price tag for the Jaguar be a little rich, Hertz thoughtfully rents Jaguar X-Types for $509 per week, so you can try before you buy. The same company also offers a Hummer H2 for $750 per week ($125 per day). A week behind the wheel of either of these vehicles would make an inspired automotive gift.
Happy holidays from Backbone Magazine.
Web auto gifts
BMW http://www.bmw.ca
Jaguar http://www.jaguar.ca
Alain Levesque http://www.arteauto.com
Mercedes-Benz http://www.mercedes-benz.ca
Magellan http://www.magellangps.com
Pentax http://www.pentax.ca
Chris Phillips http://www.racing-art.com
Porsche http://www.porsche.com
Sony http://www.sony.ca
TAG Heuer http://www.tagheuer.com
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