10 New Year's Resolutions For Petrolheads

As the new year begins, no doubt many of your friends will be making the same old tedious resolutions. Things like quitting smoking, joining the gym, or perhaps trying to eat healthily. As petrolheads though, we should be making our own, car-based resolutions.

We asked you for your New Year's resolutions on Facebook, and from your responses we've compiled this list, including a few of our own suggestions.

1. Try a new kind of car

Maybe you're a die-hard muscle car guy, or obsessed with hot hatchbacks. Perhaps you've only ever had cars from one brand. That being the case, why not try something new? Variety, after all, is the spice of life. There are so many different kinds of cars out there, so this could be the year to broaden your horizons.

2. Give your car more TLC

Whether its basic servicing, or just giving your car a damn good clean a little more often, your car deserves some love. Make sure it gets that tender loving care in 2014.

3. Go on more 'for the sake of it' drives

How often do you go for a drive, just for the sake of driving? If the answer is 'rarely', maybe this year you can do something about that. When we get behind the wheel there doesn't always have to be a destination; sometimes you just need to get out, find your favourite bit of road and drive the hell out of it.

4. Give motorsport a go

OK, you need a reasonable budget even for low-level club racing championships, but if that's a bit of a stretch, there are still lots of options if you want to sample car competition in 2014. Sprinting and hillclimb events offer an accessible and inexpensive way into motorsport, as does autocross. Failing that, just make sure you get yourself on a track day; nothing beats driving your car at the limit with no speed restrictions or oncoming traffic to worry about.

5. Go on a road trip

Every petrolhead has to go on a big road trip at some point. Assemble some mates, pack up the car and head out on an adventure. You could retrace the route of the legendary Route 66, head over to Germany to sample the de-resticted bits of the autobahn and lap the Nurburgring, or if you're feeling really brave, attempt something like the Mongol Rally.

6. Jet off for a car hire holiday hoon

A big road trip might be beyond many people's means, so why not try option B? As we explained not too long ago, a great alternative is to get on a budget flight to a destination with great roads (somewhere like the Transfagarasan Highway in Romania is perfect), grab a dinky hire car and have the drive of your life. Still not convinced? Maybe you need Clarkson to remind you why bog-standard hire motors are the fastest cars in the world...

7. Make your interior factory fresh

If your ride's interior is looking its age, why not give it a freshen up? If you get some magic liquids like these, the inside of your car could be looking like it's just come out of the factory.

8. Get stuck into a project

If you've not attempted a project before, you're missing out. This year, you could attempt anything from cool engine conversion, to a full-on restoration, or just some simple but effective mods. The possibilities are endless.

9. Stop killing your car

Some people put their cars through a lot; be it bumps, scrapes and kerbed alloys through inattentive driving, or full on crashing after running out of talent. If that sounds like you, use 2014 to clean up your act!

10. Moar power!

And finally, the most important resolution of all: moar power! You can achieve this sacred goal by either cranking more bhp out of your current motor, or upgrading to a new car with more horses under the bonnet. Whichever, it's a worthy pursuit.

Got any car-related resolutions you want to tell us about?