11 Jun 08
Porsche: Engineering for Excellence
We dads have it hard, you know.
We don't get the glory of actually giving birth to our kids, we just do the graft in the background every day, being the good cop to mum's bad cop (or vice versa in those 'Wait 'til your father gets home' scenarios), or relating to our children as peers, because we all know that we're just big kids ourselves.
So frankly our unsung heroics deserve a bit of appreciation once a year on Father's Day (June 15) and 4Car can help you show that appreciation with an appropriate gift for the petrolhead dads out there.
There are always plenty of good new car books coming on to the market, so we've sifted through some of the latest and selected some of the best.
First on the grid is Porsche: Engineering for Excellence by journalist and racing driver Tony Dron. Dron has taken a different approach to most of the plethora of books on the Stuttgart sportscar brand, concentrating on what it's like to actually drive some of the best-handling cars on the road at the limit. If you're a fan of Porkers, this is a must-read.
If you've got a motorsport-loving dad, there are two books that might keep him occupied in his favourite wing-backed armchair on his special day. British Touring Car Racing in Camera is, as it suggests, a celebration in pictures of 50 years of touring car racing in the UK: as such, it's packed with great action shots from the full-contact end of the motorsport spectrum.
Another highly visual book is Brands Hatch, the definitive history of one of the great British race circuits. Featuring extensive interviews and loads of pictures, the book shows the diversity of racing that has always been at the core of the track, which has helped it become one of the cornerstones of motor racing in the UK.
European Driver's Handbook
Back on the road, a little-known TV show and magazine has published a collection of some of its best drive stories. Top Gear Top Drives features road trips through some of the world's most beautiful, interesting and challenging locations in everything from a Smart Fortwo to a Ferrari 599 GTB.
If dad's the one in charge of all the driving-related matters for holidays abroad, The European Driver's Handbook will be a very handy addition to his glovebox. Covering 35 European countries, the guide contains all the information needed for driving around the Continent, including road signs, legal requirements, motorway maps, travel facts and even a few useful phrases in local languages (although 'What do you think you're playing at, you muppet?' seems to be missing).
Finally, if you want to make your dad all wistful and nostalgic, while tickling his funny bone, My Dad Wished He Had One of Those by Richard Porter and Giles Chapman ticks all the boxes. MDWHHOOT is a sideways look at the kinds of cars that your dad (and his dad) daydreamed about back in the day but could never afford. In fact, why not buy him a lottery ticket to go with it: if it doesn't prove to be a winner, it'll at least make the perfect bookmark.
