CHRISTMAS GIFTS: Couple of Christmas Crackers

Stuck for some Christmas present ideas for your mates, dad, brother or even need to drop some hints to your missus what you want? How about these two classics?
Driving to the in-laws on Boxing Day? Get there stress-free with a new sat nav! The TomTom VIA 130 (£129.99 from Halfords) has a "Speak & Go" function so you can control it with your voice – just say an address or 'take me home' and it plans the route straight away. Bluetooth enables you to make and answer calls safely whilst driving, and advance lane guidance gives clear directions when navigating difficult junctions. It uses travel info shared by millions of drivers to get the best routes and most accurate arrival times, whatever the time of day. Highly recommended. We just had one on test and can't fault it.
And, as you may have seen on TV, in a special Christmas promotion, TomTom is offering free maps for the lifetime of the product on selected devices – worth £79.99. You'll be able to download four brand new maps every year, totally free, meaning you receive all the latest updates to the road network, addresses and points of interest. Redemption is online with proof of purchase and the promotion runs until 24 December on all TomTom VIA and GO LIVE models.
Alternatively, the TomTom Start 60 (£169.99 from Halfords) boasts a 6" screen, their biggest yet. Resolution is really sharp, whilst larger menus and buttons make inputting even simpler. It can be mounted on the dashboard as well as the windscreen. Parking Assist helps you to find car parks at your destination and spoken street names make turnings clearer. It comes pre-loaded with maps of 45 countries across Europe. For further info visit www.tomtom.com
OR...
Buying a gift for a DIY enthusiast or someone who likes to 'tinker' under the bonnet? The Dremel 3000 Limited Edition Tool Box (£89.99 from dremel-direct.com and amazon.co.uk) is stuffed full of goodies. The Dremel 3000 multi-tool is essential for any project that involves cutting, grinding, sanding, routing, drilling and pretty much everything else. The tool box also includes 45 easy-to-change accessories plus six attachments such as a flexshaft for detailed work and a line & circle cutter. The combined value of the contents is £125, so this great gift saves nearly 30% on normal selling prices. Now there's no excuse for not getting down to all those repair and maintenance tasks in the New Year! For further info visit www.dremel.co.uk

NEWS: New TomTom Via 130 & 135 With "Speak & Go"

TomTom has released a brand new SatNav device – the TomTom Via 130 (4.3-inch screen) and TomTom Via 135 (5-inch screen) – featuring a new "Speak & Go" function, aiming to make the use of the SatNav safer, as drivers can control the device with just the sound of their voice, as well as making hands-free calls, helping them keep their hands on the wheel and focus on the road.
We've just been sent one on test and it's absolutely fabulous – with great design and build quality, intuitive SatNav menus and idiot-proof, crystal clear colour displays. And the new "Speak & Go" software works a treat. TomTom say: "Speak & Go recognises over 1,000 spoken commands and their synonyms, so drivers can speak naturally to interact with their device and this is a vastly improved version of TomTom’s existing voice command and control function." We concur.
And it's still great value too – with the TomTom Via 130 available at £129 for the UK/Republic of Ireland map and £149 for European maps and the larger screen Via 135 priced at £149 for the UK/Republic of Ireland map. Plus, the new SatNavs also include hands-free calling via Bluetooth® enabling drivers to make and answer calls safely in the car. And the Via 130 & 135 come with a USB cable, with cigar lighter adaptor and adjustable screen suction clamp. "The new Speak & Go feature helps increase focus and concentration by allowing users to keep their hands on the wheel," says Corinne Vigreux, Managing Director of TomTom. "Just say an address, a Point of Interest or simply ‘take me home,’ and TomTom plans your route straight away. Interacting with your navigation device has never been easier; it slots perfectly into your everyday drive."
The Via 130 is also pioneering TomTom’s lifetime free daily map changes. Updates are based on reports from TomTom’s Map Share community of 21 million, and help drivers to deal with frequent road changes such as new speed limits and blocked roads. A Map Share service has previously been available to certain customers using maps which are less than 12 months old, but it will now be offered to cover the lifetime of a device.
Other features of the TomTom Via 130 and 135 include:
· Hands-free calling via Bluetooth
· Advanced lane guidance, giving drivers extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions.
· Improved IQ Routes, which uses real travel information shared by millions of drivers to get the best routes and arrival times at every time of day.
· TomTom Map Share, which provides drivers with free daily map changes for life from the TomTom Map Share Community.
· Integrated mounting; a convenient foldaway mount that is integrated with the device, so it is always there when needed.
For the world’s most up-to-date route planner, including live traffic information go to www.tomtom.com/livetraffic
For further information, please visit www.tomtom.com
We can't recommend this superb system highly enough. The best on the market we have tested at this price. Buy one for Christmas for someone you love – or indeed as a treat to yourself – and be very happy! It's way better than a lot of integrated car systems we have tested of late, and a whole lot more affordable too. You can even use them walking about a city you don't know. Cool product.

NEWS: Donington Park "Thunder In The Park" Christmas Track Days

Christmas is approaching – love it or loathe it! And we all know things can get a bit stressful at this time of year, so why not counter-act that stress with some classic track day action at one of the UK's best circuits, Donington Park, and blow off some seasonal steam? 

Donington Park are running their popular "Thunder in the Park Track Days" during December – with two quiet days (98db limit)* on December 15th and 16th and a special unsilenced day on December 28th. The track days are sessioned into six 20 minute rotation sessions throughout the day, with professional instructors available for those looking to brush up on their racing skills.
Gemma Toogood, Head of Commercial Sales & Marketing at Donington Park, said: "We’ve had a fantastic year here at Donington in 2012, so we thought it would be only fitting to let motoring fans get up close and personal with the circuit and drive their own beloved cars round the track. With Christmas coming up it’s the perfect present for the petrol heads among us – and we even have an option to hire cars, particularly if you fancy a spin in a Caterham 7 Superlight.”
Prices for the Thunder in the Park Track Days begin at £99, booked in advance.
* For more details about the track days, noise limits and vehicle hire, please visit the Donington Park website at: http://www.donington-park.co.uk/experiences/thunder-in-the-park-track-days/

Treat yourself, or why not even make it a Christmas present for someone you love? Work off some of that turkey, lapping the Craner Curves at pace... perfect Christmas pass time to us...

See how much fun Donington Park can be in our Tim Schrick special of Road Magazine here: http://issuu.com/roadonlinemagazine/docs/road_17