For those with horsepower, what can eight tiny reindeer add?

Here’s a holiday shopping list for the car buffs in your life -- whether they’re hard-core backyard mechanics, cerebral car aficionados or teens in search of cool gadgets:

For iPod fans, consider the RoadTrip, a transmitter and charger that allows users to play their iPod through a car’s stereo. It sells for $79.95 at the Sharper Image.

If you want to give an even more extravagant audio item, consider satellite radio receivers with a one-year subscription to a satellite radio service. XM and Sirius have comparable plans that offer up to 150 channels of commercial-free music, news, sports, talk and entertainment. There are various packages, with prices running up to $300. For information, check www.xm.com and www.sirius.com.

For extreme fun Christmas morning, there’s the Zero Gravity Wall Climber, a remote-controlled Humvee that goes straight up the walls of your house. Whether you’re a kid or just fascinated by Army tanks, the Wall Climber may be the ticket this holiday season. It utilizes the same technology that Formula One race cars use to hug the track. The Humvee has a desert-camouflage finish, measures 12 inches long and weighs under 2 pounds: $99.95 at the Sharper Image.

Looking to add mobile entertainment to your family’s driving experience? There’s a range of DVD players on the market. One is the Coby swivel screen portable DVD player at Pep Boys, which comes with remote control, car headrest mounting bag, stereo headphones and a rechargeable battery, all for $109.98, plus a $30 mail-in rebate.

Hand-held engine-code readers are a sensible gift for motorists who want to monitor the health of their engines. The devices, which work on most models made since 1996, plug into a car’s central control module and allow you to read stored codes that can warn motorists of problems small or large. Equus Products of Fountain Valley and Actron of Cleveland feature code readers. They are sold over the Internet and can be found in various automotive stores. Prices range from $120 to around $150.

For the tool lover and wannabe mechanic, Pep Boys sells a $149.99 tool cart on wheels, featuring 125 automotive-related tools for tinkering and repairing. Another idea for hard-core home mechanics is the Torin Big Red Garage to Go, which comes with a 36-inch creeper, 2-ton trolley jack and two 2-ton jack stands for $29.98.

If you’re ready to spend a bundle on flash and dazzle, check out Tire Rack’s Evo Commando AP specialty tire rims, starting at $950 per rim (www.tirerack.com).

Here in the party season, consider some smart gifts that could save a life: a digital breath alcohol screener. Alcohawk sells two types that feature oxide sensors to accurately estimate your blood-alcohol level in seconds. The Sharper Image sells a professional-grade screener that gets about 300 tests on a 9V battery for $99.95. Also available is the Alcohawk Micro screener for $59.95, which fits on a key chain. It gets about 300 tests on a AAA battery.

If a special motorist on your list is frazzled and stressed over traffic, consider surprising them with the TrafficGauge, a PDA-sized device that displays information on the volume of freeway traffic on a 3-by-5-inch LCD screen.

The information comes straight from CalTrans’ network of thousands of sensors buried in roadbeds throughout the area. It’s available at Nordstrom, Good Guys, Fry’s Electronics and other stores. It’s $79.95 and includes one month of free service.

Additional service packages range from $6.99 monthly to $129 for a two-year package.

Any serious car buff would be enthralled with “50 Years With Car and Driver” by Martin Padgett. The new 300-page book features a fascinating portfolio of car culture, history and commentary. The multitude of photos include shots of actor James Dean’s smashed Porsche Spyder from 1955, and circa 1967, the short-lived floating Amphicar. Available from Amazon.com for $31.50.

For more car nostalgia, SpeedTV (www.speedtvbooks.com) offers “Route 66 Lost & Found” by Russell A. Olson for $29.95. If there’s a motorcycle enthusiast on your list, the website sells the Chopper 2006 Calendar for $14.99, highlighting the best bikes from the hottest custom chopper builders.

If muscle cars of the 1960s and early ‘70s are more their taste, the website sells the American Muscle Cars 2006 Calendar for $12.99. It also features DVDs of classic car-chase films, such as “Bullitt,” with Steve McQueen.

Jeanne Wright can be reached at jeanrite@aol.com.