Weird World of Wheels: Christmas Presents

Each week, we bring you the strangest auto-related news from around the world.

This week, the best automotive Christmas gifts of all time…

Jessica Simpson’s supercar splashout

The best Christmas present in the world. A robot chauffeur? A pre-release copy of Gran Turismo 5 and a 100 inch LCD TV?

Not bad, not bad.

But when US singer and actress Jessica Simpson wanted to get her husband Nick Lachey a Christmas present in 2004, she went the extra mile.

She bought him a Ferrari.

And what the boy band singer get his wife in return? A flawless emerald ring.

Ms Simpson said: “We had a big Christmas.”

The couple, stars of the MTV show ‘The Newlyweds’, split up in 2005.

All I want Ford Christmas

Another American couple received a shock Christmas present in 2004 - a car they last saw 23 years ago.

Terry and Robin Smith from Greenville in South Carolina were presented by the California Highway Patrol with their Ford Fairlane - which authorities had recovered 2,600 miles away in Sacramento.

The car had been given to Mrs Smith as a wedding present from her parents.

Mrs Smith said: "What a wonderful gift at Christmas time.”

Reverse break-in

In December 2005, a US motorist received an incredible, and unexpected, Christmas present.

A $15,000 (£7,400) diamond ring.

An anonymous gift-giver left the ring in the stranger’s car, which had been left unlocked at a train station in Westborough, Massachusetts, with a heartfelt message.

The message read: "Merry Christmas. Thank you for leaving your car door unlocked. Instead of stealing your car I gave you a present. Hopefully this will land in the hands of someone you love, for my love is gone now. Merry Christmas to you."

Monster Christmas

A Citroen robot would be good, but for sheer destructive power, you can’t beat Robosaurus.

And now the 40ft tall, fire-breathing metal monster is up for sale – with no reserve price.

The fully-articulated 30-ton robot, controlled by a human pilot strapped inside the monster’s head, can rip apart cars and planes with its gigantic claws.

Robosaurus was built at the end of the 80s for £1 million.

The metal leviathan’s website lists parties, charity events, bill collection, and the settling of neighbour disputes as potential uses.

Christmas future

And finally, in the forthcoming Christmas edition of Top Gear on 23rd December, Jeremy Clarkson will be creating the ultimate Christmas present - by turning a G-Wiz into a radio-controlled car.

Click the play button below to find out what the presenter thought of the G-Wiz in a previous episode of the show.

Set your videos for Sunday 23rd December on BBC2 at 8pm…