What Car? Christmas gift guide - Slot car racing and remote control toys

Scalextric
From www.amazon.co.uk
Price £37.99
What a classic! Basic sets start at less than £40, but all you’ll have to play on is an oval, which is a bit dull. Bigger layouts allow up to six cars to race on one line and change lane, although these can cost upwards of £200. Superb fun guaranteed, especially if you’ve got a playful cat.

Micro Scalextric
From www.amazon.co.uk
Price From £49.99
If space is tight, Micro Scalextric could be the answer. Some sets also include loop-the-loops.

Roary the Racing Car remote control car From www.amazon.co.uk Price £22.49 If you’ve got young kids, the chances are you know who Roary is. This remote control car not only goes forward, backward, left and right, it’s also got sounds and phrases from the television programme.

Tabletop bumper cars
From www.iwantoneofthose.co.uk
Price £24.95
Sweep the turkey and the plum duff off the table, inflate the barrier and bump away with this pair of small remote control cars. Perhaps the winner could get the last mince pie, or the loser could do the washing up?

Noddy track, car and figures From www.boots.com Price £27.94 As well as a figure-of-eight track with a humpback bridge, you get Noddy’s car, Noddy himself, a Plod character, a traffic light, a petrol pump, two lamp posts and two signposts to play with.

Sony Ericson Car-100 Bluetooth remote control car
From www.amazon.co.uk
Price £14.99
Another car to race through the sprouts and across the brandy butter finishing line, this little number is controlled through the numberpad of your Bluetooth phone, which is neat.

Rambo (RTR) 1/6 scale nitro buggy From www.modelsport.co.uk Price £269 If you can’t be bothered building a car and just want to tear up the lawn, a ready-made remote-control kit like this could be the answer. With top speeds of more than 50mph, it’s probably best to not hand the controls over to your little boy in case he steers the beast into Grandma’s ankle while she snores in front of Coronation Street.

Remote control stock cars
From www.iwantoneofthose.com
Price £24.99
Double up with laughter as the passengers shoot out of your opponent’s car when you drive into the relevant trigger on the outside of their car. Buy two sets and have a four-way family ding-dong in front of the Christmas tree.

Hot wheels From www.amazon.co.uk Price From £9.98 Hot Wheels tracks are great fun, and you don’t need batteries, either. Tracks cost from less than £10 for the Super Smash Overpass to just more than £30 for something like this Serpents Revenge layout with banks and loops.

Postman Pat
From www.toysrus.co.uk
Price £14.99
This track includes a pull-back style Postman Pat van, so again there are no batteries to worry about. Various Post Office paraphernalia is included, like a letter storage unit and stamp dispenser.