2011 Holiday Gift Guide for Volvo Enthusiasts
compiled by: Swedespeed Staff
Dec 5, 2011 - 10:46:34 PM
The holidays are quickly approaching and Cyber Monday is past. Tis the season for Swedespeed to publish its annual Holiday Gift Guide – a list of cool Volvo-centric items for the enthusiast who has everything, or perhaps some ideas for our readers to share with inquiring loved ones when asked to make a list.
1.) Forza Motorsport 4 for Xbox360
Now in its fourth iteration, the Forza Motorsport franchise continues to impress with impressive graphics, physics engine, livery design and more. Forza 4 is loaded with a decent selection of Volvos to choose from, including the 242 Turbo Coupe, C30 R-design (pre-facelift), S60 R (P2) and the latest S60 T6 R-design.
Forza is an Xbox only affair, but even those without an Xbox unit may find it easier to justify nowadays thanks to Microsoft’s new Kinect system that senses body movements. There is Kinect functionality to Forza but this also means the Xbox platform is now much more robust with games for kids, rendering the investment much less of a guilty pleasure purchase for a car enthusiast parent.
MORE INFORMATION:
Forza 4 at BestBuy.com
2.) 1:18 Scale Volvo 850 BTCC from AutoArt
In the past we’ve featured AutoArt’s 1:18 scale 850R and T-5R models. These models of the roadgoing original R-cars remain popular sellers for AutoArt so it’s perhaps not shocking that they’ve now launched the BTCC racers that inspired those original R-cars. Three different TWR team cars are available including that of Rickard Rydell, Tim Harvey or the presentation car bearing both of their names.
MORE INFORMATION:
850 BTCC #15 Rydell at AutoArtModels.com
850 BTCC #9 Harvey at AutoArtModels.com
850 BTCC Presentation Car at AutoArtModels.com
3.) 1:18 Scale Volvo 242 Turbo DTM Racecar from AutoArt
Should your Volvo passion is more focused on the vintage rear-wheel drive variety, AutoArt has also released a series of 242 Turbo racers. Choose from the 1986 Nordica livery, 1985 Castrol livery or a cool white test car sans logos.
MORE INFORMATION:
242 Racecar Plain White Version at AutoArtModels.com
242 Racecar #1 Nordica at AutoArtModels.com
242 Racecar #21 Castrol at AutoArtModels.com
4.) Brake Disc Book Ends
If you’re looking for a way to better display your rows and rows of Volvo books, look no further than these handsome aluminum cross-drilled brake rotor-design book ends from Griot’s garage. They’re affordable, and they’re also a slick prop for any self-respecting car guy or gal’s office or library.
MORE INFORMATION:
GriotsGarage.com
5.) Nurburgring Key Tag
Yes the Nurburgring is Germany’s claim to fame, and while it may not be Swedish it is hard not to love the fabled track just the same. Volvos are regulars at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring thanks in no small part to teams like Heico Sportiv who most recently campaigned a C30 there this year. Given the heritage, we love this simple stainless steel Nurburgring track map keytag from 1552 Design and think it looks great when paired with a Volvo keyfob.
MORE INFORMATION:
fifteen52.us
6.) Volvo Ocean Race Gear from Puma
What do the Volvo Ocean Race, Ferrari F1 and Red Bull Racing all share in common? Answer: Puma. The sports shoe brand is the official apparel supplier to each of these well-known franchises and as such there’s a whole line of stylish goods available bearing the Volvo Ocean Race logo. We rather liked the look of this windbreaker though choose for yourself in the Volvo Ocean Race line on Puma’s online store or via their bricks and mortar stores around the country.
MORE INFORMATION:
shop.Puma.com
7.) Vintage Volvo T-Shirts
Thanks to easy-to-print T-shirt services such as CafePress, T-shirt designs for people with specialized interests like (ahem) Volvo enthusiasts now have plenty to choose from when looking for some slick attire. A quick googling will literally find you hundreds but may we suggest just two for the search engine averse. This vintage Volvo logo shirt and another with a classic P1800 design aren’t just from CafePress, they’re readily available on Amazon.
MORE INFORMATION:
Vintage Volvo Logo Shirt at Amazon.com
P1800 Shirt at Amazon.com
8.) Volvo Logo Belt Buckle
In case the iron symbol in the Volvo logo wasn’t Austin Powers enough for you, perhaps this brushed silver belt buckle design holding up your trousers may drive the point home. The net effect with blue enamel center portions is quite accurate to the Volvo design and at under $10, it’ll even fit the price range of a secret Santa.
MORE INFORMATION:
Amazon.com
