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From YourSITE.com Miscellaneous Features
1. Metro Vacuum Vac-N-Blo and Jumbo Vac-N-Blo For the auto enthusiast who has everything, we’re guessing this vacuum may be an unknown. One of the most powerful vacuums on the market, this vacuum is ideal for automotive and garage uses. Blow dry your car, inflate a raft, blow leaves or vacuum your car’s interior with specially-designed car attachments. The standard Vac-N-Blo offers portability, allowing you to take it remotely for on-location detailing at a car show or keep it in the garage for home use. The Jumbo Vac-N-Blo isn’t portable, but mounts on the wall and features five times the bag capacity of the standard unit. www.MetroVacWorld.com 2. Audi Sport North America Racing Gear Showing your true Audi colors has become a bit easier thanks to the Audi Collection’s addition of Audi Sport North America gear. Surfing the Audi Collection’s North American website, we found great-looking garb and gear with the Audi Sport North America or R10 logos. Notable examples included a men’s soft shell jacket and women’s fitted T-shirt with the R10 profile logo, as well as men’s golf shirts and a folding chair to take to the race, each with the Audi Sport North America logo. Collection.AudiUSA.com
3. Audi R10 TDI 1:43 Scale Model by Spark Whether a serious model car collector or just a casual enthusiast looking for some desk décor, the new Audi R10 TDI by Spark in 1:43 scale is a sure bet. Audi’s revolutionary diesel-powered racecar dominated this season with a perfect record of wins, though it’s just now at the holiday season that any scale models of the R10 have been readily available. Model car manufacturer Spark is first to market with examples of both Le Mans-competing Audi R10s, and we found them in-stock and available at our favorite New Jersey Model shop EWA Cars. www.EWACars.com
4. Jean Richard ALMS Special Series Paramount Sebring Watch
If you follow the American Le Mans Series, you’ve probably seen the co-branding at races with watch-maker Jean Richard. Watches go with car racing like a hand and a glove, and the Paramount Sebring features a fantastic automotive appearance. A black carbonfiber face, brushed steel casing and silver-stitched black leather band give the watch a sporting feel that was seemingly made to match the environment you might find in an Audi S4, S6 or S8. The Jean Richard time piece features mechanical movement with automatic winding, good for 48 hours of reserve power when the watch isn’t in motion. http://www.jeanrichard.com/col...n=235 www.JeanRichard.com 5. Matchbox Cars
Looking over the latest offerings from Matchbox, we found two versions listed as the S4 Avant and TT Coupe. The S4 Avant looks more like an RS 6, though either would be a winner when hung from the chimney with care. Matchbox cars are widely available at most local toy stores and general wares stores such as Target, Sears or Walmart. Cars are also available on Ebay.com and various other online outlets. www.Matchbox.com 6. Othmar Wickenheiser: Audi Design Book
With one of the most noticeable and cohesive design languages in the auto industry, it’s no surprise that automotive design is important to Audi owners. We found this German-language only book on modern Audi design by Othmar Wickenheiser. Sure, it’s not in English, but we’re guessing it’s worth it just for the pictures. The bad news is that you’ll have to order it from Germany. The good news is that we’ve found a German model shop source that also stocks the new 1:43 scale Audi R8 model road cars from the German market Audi Collection and they offer pricing in U.S. dollars. www.ModellAutohaus.de 7. Audi Posters and Prints Prints and posters for hanging on the wall are always a staple gift, especially when the subject matter is Audis. The search for that perfect gift for the car enthusiast who has everything this year had us browsing sources outside the USA. One online store stumbled across was Parc.de from Germany. Simply put, if you’re a fan of virtually any European marque, this website likely has more print and poster selection to suit your interests than you’ve ever seen. One could spend hours just perusing their stock. No matter what era, from vintage to modern, this store seems to have it all. The website is available in English. Pricing is in Euros. www.Parc.de
Over recent years, aggressive drivers have gotten a bad name. Sure, there are those complete psychopaths on the road, and we’ve encountered some of them. But, 9 times out of 10, we’re guessing most drivers are passive aggressive, getting irritated if not postal when American drivers without any sense of Autobahniquette insist on riding in the left lane. For these people, we may have found the answer with the book of Road Rage cards. Warning, some of these messages are a bit vulgar, but this flip book will help you rapidly get your point across to other drivers… if you can get them to look over. www.RoadRage.com 9. Shell Oil Vintage T-shirt
Never let it be said that you can’t find good gifts in a corporate identity line. Perusing one of the several Shell Oil online stores found via the corporation’s website, we stumbled across this stylish retro Shell logo T-shirt amongst the expected polo shirts and golf umbrellas. Blue with gold neck and arm bands, this handsome shirt harkens back to vintage motorsport, but would also look cool worn out to a club. Of course, Shell is a major development partner for Audi’s R10 TDI program, adding some covert race team support without over dosing on Audi pieces of flare. Shell.EvignaStores.com
In the past, we’ve featured driving shoes. However, this year we’re recommending those with an automotive footwear fetish consider the Pit Shoe by racing gear staple Simpson. Oil resistant and with a toe cap for added protection, this shoe is great for use while turning wrenches in the garage or for regular use. Stylistically, the tire tread sole is a great touch. As with the Model T, you can have the Simpson Pit Shoe in any color so long as it’s black. A one shade model this may be, but black is perfect for hiding grease and dirt stains that might be encountered while wrenching on your ride. And, at $44.95 the Pit Shoe won’t break the bank. www.SimpsonRaceProducts.com 11. Audi A4 DTM Racecar 1/10 Scale Remote Controlled Car by Tamiya Remote control cars are a great way for kids to drive before they’re legal, as well as a guilty pleasure for even licensed drivers. Tamiya, one of the biggest R/C car manufacturers out there, now offers a 1/10 scale Audi A4 DTM racecar for your R/C driving enjoyment. Complete with the blue, red and silver Red Bull livery used by Mattias Ekström, this car will allow you to relive the DTM season in the comfort of your own driveway. www.TamiyaUSA.com
12. Vertu Ascent Mobile Phone
Vertu’s Ascent model is particularly pleasing to an auto enthusiast, with brushed stainless casing and stitched leather available in a variety of color combinations. Racing enthusiasts might like limited edition models commemorating fabled racetracks such as Monza, Silverstone, Indianapolis or Le Mans – phones complete with etched maps of the tracks they celebrate. However, our running favorite is a limited production black leather and steel version with accenting carbonfiber battery cover made to celebrate the company’s participation in the Porsche Michelin Supercup. If you’re looking for every bell and whistle of the latest Blackberry, you’ve come to the wrong place. Vertu has its fair share of features, such as Bluetooth and a trick concierge button offering that would make James Bond proud and GM’s OnStar stop and ask directions. However, a mobile web and video browser it is not. www.Vertu.com
Italians are insane for Espresso and supercars. Isn’t it then natural then that Italians combine two, co-branding a high-end Espresso maker with the branding of a supercar manufacturer like Lamborghini? This gloss-black and brushed silver is a work of art, complete with engraved Lamborghini badge, this appliance-as-art is operated by a lever complete with gearshift knob. Alas, the market for such things is somewhat limited. The only stores we were able to locate the maker were abroad – here found at GoCoffee.co.uk. We suspect purchase abroad won’t scare the most rabid Lambo-driving Espresso drinkers out there, though bear in mind any appliance sourced overseas will likely be prepped for electrical outlets in its home country. Let the buyer beware. http://www.gocoffee.co.uk/cata....html www.GoCoffee.co.uk 14. CMC 1/18 Auto Union Type C Forget what you know about die-cast 1/18-scale models. They’re usually crude, poorly detailed toys. CMC produces what are without a doubt the most detailed ready-built models on the market, and they win awards every year for doing so. Their Auto Union Type C Racer is a perfect example of their craft. The body is made of pressed copper sheeting, meticulously welded together. The grille is comprised of individually formed metal bars. The wire wheels are individually assembled by hand as well. In total, more than 1000 parts go into each one of these models, more than 400 alone for just the engine. The level of detail and quality of craftsmanship should make these models unobtainable to the average enthusiast, but incredibly the Auto Union Type C is available for around $250. If that figure is still a little rich for you, they sell the engine (a work of art in its own right) as a static display for less than a hundred bucks. CMC models are carried by a handful of select hobby retailers, or they can be ordered directly online. http://www.cmc-modelcars.com/us/index.htm www.CMC-ModelCars.com
15. Skip Barber High Performance Driving School Just as everybody in prison thinks they’re innocent, every car enthusiast worth his wheels thinks he’s the next Mario Andretti. Reality checks never hurt, and neither does preparedness, which is why we heartily recommend the Skip Barber High Performance Driving School. Why Skip Barber? Well, besides they’re being one of the most prominent and well-respected schools going, their one and two day programs also offer seat time in Audi S4 and RS 4 models at locations including Homestead, Sebring, Daytona, Lime Rock, Road America and Laguna Seca. Gift certificates are available through the website for Audi-inclusive programs costing anywhere from $1500-2900, though we recommend you call the school to verify that Audis will be involved in the specific event you wish to attend. www.SkipBarber.com
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