Wheels Extra: Not the real deal but how about a radio-controlled electric car?

Peter Bleakney

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

ME UNDER $50

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Extraordinary Automobiles, a fascinating tome by Giles Chapman and published by DK, celebrates the weird and the wonderful with 150 automobiles ranging from iconic to just plain bizarre. Perfect for the loo. $26, at bookstores and online.

I like shiny, and a bottle of Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 would be a welcome gift. Meguiar's says it's easy to apply, lasts twice as long as regular wax, and uses "Hydrophobic Polymer Technology" that literally sends water running. $30 at Canadian Tire.

I'd like to dip my toe in the electric car waters, but since I can't afford a real Tesla Roadster at $100,000-plus, I'll settle for a radio-controlled electric car. From $30, The Source.

PARTNER UNDER $100

Forza Motorsport 3 racing game for Xbox. The betrothed occasionally complains that we don't spend enough quality time together, suggesting perhaps more Sunday morning drives in the country. I'm suggesting Sunday morning drives together at Laguna Seca, Silverstone or Le Mans, piloting an Audi R8 V10 or Ferrari 430 Scuderia rendered in meticulous detail. With 400 cars and 100 tracks to choose from, my wife will surely be overjoyed on Christmas morning. $70, Sears.

Of course, while enjoying this quality time together, I wouldn't dream of making her operate these hi-po cars with the standard lame-o Xbox controller. I'm sure she'd prefer the Xbox Wireless Racing Wheel with pedals and "force feedback." $100, Future Shop.

There's a chance my long-suffering better half may tire of getting her keister whooped on the race track, and will need to take some long and lonely Sunday morning drives away from me and Forza, I'd feel better knowing her visibility was unobstructed. A set of the new ice-resistant Rain-X Latitude wipers, with blades made from friction-reducing graphite-coated synthetic chloroprene rubber would be just the ticket. $25 each, Wal-Mart.

Me unlimited

I'm always looking for an excuse to mate driving pleasure with the demands of domestic abyss ... er, bliss. The new Audi 2010 S4 sedan features sophisticated quattro all-wheel drive, great moves, luxurious appointments and a right-now 333-hp supercharged 3.0 L V6. But we are denied the Avant (wagon) version here, probably because our neighbours to the south don't want it. The Avant looks cooler and is way more useful than the sedan. I want one with the seven-speed twin clutch transmission and active rear differential, which erases any trace of understeer. In yellow, please. Price unknown.

A British outfit called Dream Jackets is making a line of superbly tailored garments in Dream Car fabric. Taste notwithstanding, this bold print features such notables as the Aston Martin DBS, Bentley Continental GT, Alfa Romeo Competizione 8C, Porsche 911, Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari F430 Spider. You can also get a chair to go with the jacket. About $250, www.dreamjackets.co.uk.

Team O'Neil Rally School and Car Control Centre is located in the mountains of New Hampshire. A four-day rally course teaches the art of left foot braking, the "Scandanavian Flick" and other techniques required to drive their specially prepped cars quickly, and sideways, over its 10 km forest road course. $4,150 (U.S.), www.team-oneil.com.

More videos from Wheels.ca and our partners