What makes a car magazine truly great?

Our circulation department tells me our numbers are up 36% so far this year. Sounds like a good time to kick back and crack open a cold beer, right? 

Perhaps, but that’s not how I roll. I’m not saying I’m opposed to having a beer or three once in a while, but kicking back and resting on one’s past results …

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I mentioned to David on Saturday that I'm eagerly waiting for the results of the new 200 TW tire. Tires are a big interest with the autocross crowd.

Repeat after me:  Sexy.  Editors.

Fun attitude, great writing, and absolutely no Special Advertising Sections regarding watches and their longtime relationship with motorsport.

Ya'll are great but I also remember the old days of Car and Driver with Patrick Bedard, PJ O'Rouke, Brock Yates, et al.     Those guys were entertaining.   And how to forget the Cannonball Baker Sea-To_Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash.

In reply to Tim Suddard :

Writers of the quality  of Peter Egan, BS Levy, etc.  who can pull you into a story  you have little if any interest in.  
     You already have such a person but not on your staff. Calvin Nelson. If you go on UTube and follow his postings ( nivlac57). You can't help but be drawn in.   His latest Volvo rescue where he puts a 6 cylinder Chevy  with 824  horsepower already developed from a Stock bottom end junkyard motor with 175,000 miles on it already. Unopened.  Yeh!  Stock everything from the junkyard!! 
     Or his Studebaker. With the same engine.   8 second Ford Fairmont station Wagon?  

Sports Car Graffic is my all-time favorite.  Maybe because I was at that particular age (in my mid teens to 20's) when it was published.  I really was disappointed when it went out of print.  I kept one about the 429 Cobra pristine, in a zip lock bag.  Comparing cars with the tables they printed on each one was fastinating, even if somewhat stilted.  I recall they had a series about reconfiguring the timing advance with a new spring in the distributer for what they claimed was unbelivable performance improvements.  I know now that it was probably a lot of false hope, but it was fun to imagine.  (I had a FIAT 124 Sports Coupe which was one of the engines they claimed to have improved so much, but I figured that the factory would have done it if that's all it needed.)  Its hard to replicate what SCG did because those cars and days are but a memory.  A heated up TR 6 is a dog compared to new, economy cars.

Is there any automotive magazine that has ever written about 3D scanning of vehicle(s), the sources of a scanning service or the methods to employ 3D scans in restorations and modifications?

CM should consider articles that assist the owners of older cars with sources, maintenance, methods and various other information articles or unpaid advertisements.

Hagerty magazine is pretty darn good IMHO. Mostly because of the columnists.

The times are changing.  More classic Japanese cars and radwood stuff. That's where the market is heading.

robertdhogan said:

Is there any automotive magazine that has ever written about 3D scanning of vehicle(s), the sources of a scanning service or the methods to employ 3D scans in restorations and modifications?

CM should consider articles that assist the owners of older cars with sources, maintenance, methods and various other information articles or unpaid advertisements.

We've written about it in Grassroots Motorsports:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/against-wind/

And I'm working on more 3D scanning content now.

For me GRM has always been the best place for DIY technical information combined with coverge of car culture that said "Yes, this is my tribe." So that's what made it the best for me, I guess.

I haven't been a subscriber of CM but probably will as I drift into classic status myself...

jimbob_racing said:

The times are changing.  More classic Japanese cars and radwood stuff. That's where the market is heading.

Lots of JDM stuff on the GRM side. 

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/price-nostalgia-column/ 

I am a big fan of TSD rallies - 

The joy of seeing classic and vintage vehicles out on the open road or a marque club running a tour of senic drives and questionable eateries - priceless

Would love to see articles on events of this nature from around the nation -

Add in Rally cross and Gambler 500 like events as new facits of automotive passion. These revolve around affordable cars and event specific preparation that should draw parallels with exsisting motoring enthusiasts sharing similar goals

I asked at a car show of a Hot Rod Lincoln with chrome blower for a hood ... " You drive this much ?"  - Answer "Sure do, drive it on and off the trailer for ever event " .... Sigh 

Staying in the public eye - on the road again, thats Sharing the passion 

Good writers. It's important for both TV shows and magazines. I stuck with Autoweek because of Satch Carlson and later, Corey Farley. Peter Egan I regard as almost god-like in his ability to relay a factual tale. David Freibuger speaks my language. Carl Heidemann ranks high on my list of tech writers.

Lose good writing and you'll lose regular readers. Last Man Standing was a hit show until it went to Fox and got new writers. The series quickly became a shadow of its former self and was canceled a couple of seasons later (fresh in my mind as I just finished watching the run this week). 

Good writers will make even bland subjects interesting.

I like the magazine pretty well as is but an improvement I would like to see is a deep dive article (say one per issue or at least regularly recurring) on some of the characters and projects found here.

edit: I will also say I think the editorial columns sometimes seem forced. I definitely don't think "more of those" are the magic spark that makes a car magazine. Would even recommend rotating authorship rather than struggling to get one for each person into each issue. 

Specific to tech content, I want before and after data. No "lighter is better so we went lighter," I want "with this change we were two tenths quicker," etc.

Im a fan of anything approachable and within the ability/scope of your average driver that maintains their own junk. 

Raffle off the project cars to subscribers.