Article suggestion, no idea, no make that demand!

OK guys, as a company and a magazine I know you’re not made of money, but you do have contacts in the industry. I’ve just watched the Autoblog drive an F1 car feature and realized you guys need to do this. Either one of your staff writers or one of your experienced occasional writers. I would love to see your version in print. Putting into words the violence, the quicker than thought reactions, the acceleration etc., but put in terms that we your enthusiast, autocrossing, track driving, back road burning readers can relate too. I’ve seen and read several features like the above over the years, but they all leave me wanting more. I'd love to live vicariously through one of you, too see what even a dulled down 5-10-15 year old F1 car is actually like to drive.

This would be cool.

a GRC car could likely be arranged through a board member at a far lesser expense, though the aero and power makes the experience not quite as insane as an F1 car, the experience is still so insane that adjectives struggle to grasp the experience.

captdownshift wrote: a GRC car could likely be arranged through a board member at a far lesser expense, though the aero and power makes the experience not quite as insane as an F1 car, the experience is still so insane that adjectives struggle to grasp the experience.

Let's make is a series. F1 car, Indy car, Prototype, GRC, WRC etc. One car from each type of top line motorsport.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

I do like that idea, I can even work on getting an LMP car

captdownshift wrote: In reply to Adrian_Thompson: I do like that idea, I can even work on getting an LMP car

Come on GRM Staff, where are you

No need to potentially sacrifice one of the writers. I, of sound mind and body, volunteer to drive said F1 car. Upon completion I will voice the experience to a hired employee of Grassroots Motorsports Magazine, and they can write all about it.

If GRM can not afford to pay me the $10,000/hr I usually charge for such things, then I will offer my services for free under the agreement that they clean the vomit off the F1 car and out of my helmet before they take pictures.

Tim got to drive, or will be driving a Lola T70. Writing about that will be similar to what you want, Adrian.

Better yet, "A GRM Approach to F1."

With so many teams failing financially, now may be the time to pick up an F1 car at a Grassroots price! Read this article to learn:

1) Tips for flat-towing an F1 car. Not every F1 team needs a transporter or a cargo jet. Here's what you need to know to tow your F1 car behind your wife's minivan.

2) How to build your own rolling-floor wind tunnel using parts available at your local big-box home improvement store.

3) (OK, you guys take it from here...)

Yes--- Tim did drive Brian Johnson's Lola T70 at Sebring a few weeks ago. Full report soon coming in Classic Motorsports.

I don't want to give away the story.....but let's just say it was a lot different than his TR-3!

Do it - Thinking GRM meets Top Gear!

I've been harping on management in the forum for more "meaningful" content in the magazine(s) for awhile. I've also made suggestions in private correspondence. This is a good example of more meaningful content we would like to see.

What we need less of is "100 things you must do in Monterey during The Big Week" (when only a handful of readers actually attend) or 4-5 pages of social pictures during The Mitty or Daytona parties (when only the people who attend might want to see a few pictures), and countless other meaningless filler material in the magazines.

... and how about smaller pictures, smaller text, more detailed content as well. Can we have a world class magazine please?

In reply to Gary:

Perhaps asking nicely gets more favorable results than "harping". Just an observation.

EastCoastMojo wrote: In reply to Gary: Perhaps asking nicely gets more favorable results than "harping". Just an observation.

Been trying all tactics. I'm afraid that doesn't work (even private correspondence to the brass). There seems to be a healthy dose of hubris that permeates at the top, and I'll leave it at that. Unfortunately I sense there's a belief that GRM and CM are already world class magazines, and we don't recognize that. We should just be quiet and keep on renewing our subscriptions. (And everybody knows what happened to General Motors).

Gary wrote: I've been harping on management in the forum for more "meaningful" content in the magazine(s) for awhile. I've also made suggestions in private correspondence. This is a good example of more meaningful content we would like to see. What we need less of is "100 things you must do in Monterey during The Big Week" (when only a handful of readers actually attend) or 4-5 pages of social pictures during The Mitty or Daytona parties (when only the people who attend might want to see a few pictures), and countless other meaningless filler material in the magazines.

HELL YES. Where's the vote up button for this post. I find I'm reading less and less of each magazine.

So how about approaching the dude with the Lotus Exos T125 at the Mitty?

What if there was a GRM Staff bucket list? And each issue one gets checked off. I imagine the staff have their own bucket lists, why not incorporate it into the mag? I imagine that includes driving some famous racecars.

Or a stock car on a road course

I find I'm reading less and less of each magazine.

I thought it was only me that was losing interest.

Sorry guys, but I don't really care to read about $2000 challenge cars made by people wheeling and dealing parts and/or having a team of talented people provide E36 M3loads of expert labor for free. I also don't want to read about somebody buying a new BMW just so they can make it a project car. Seriously? Where are the "real" cars? The ones that cost between $5000 and $30,000 to buy and/or build? You know, the ones that I may actually own at some point. I understand that the Challenge and the Open Track event provide lots of easy editorial material but almost none of it interests me. This has pretty much made my mind up to let my subscription to GRM lapse.

On the other hand, CM has obviously moved way upmarket based on the ads (full page Rolex) and the content (auctions-reporting, attending) and I find little of interest to me at this point. Topping it all off is all of the repetitive articles about rich people going touring/rallying in their rare cars for a huge entry fees.

I like the project cars and some of the columns but it's not enough to make me renew my subscriptions.

Sorry.

In reply to EastCoastMojo:

Constructive criticism always works best. I've found that suggesting realistic ideas for stories, that serve as no benefit for yourself, has been met with positive feedback.

Honestly it's difficult to produce a good car magazine these days, besides the competition from digital media and dying periodic advertising budgets, PRIMEDIA BS, etc. There simply aren't that many good affordable sports cars for less then $30k and haven't been for nearly a decade. Outside of the Frisbee twins, the answer, Ford ST offering what else is there?

So you brainstorm for ideas on older cars that may now be below $10k, or $5k and hope not the be redundant in recovering a vehicle that you've previously covered. Think how often the same forum topics come up and get rehashed, I don't mind it on here, but having a magazine of regurgitated keyboard dribble would be terrible experience.

Just be glad they haven't gone the Gawker media/kinja route of 74 various best of and gift guides that are all heavily laden with paid placement crap where they take reader feedback and suggestions on products, then approach the manufacturers and distributors about becoming an advertiser in order to make the list in a thinly veiled attempt to come off as Oprah of the internet. If that were the case we'd have a GRM annual shaving produce gift guide and it'd all be Harry's and Dollar Shave Club crap.

Berkeley that.

Gary wrote:

EastCoastMojo wrote: In reply to Gary: Perhaps asking nicely gets more favorable results than "harping". Just an observation.

Been trying all tactics. I'm afraid that doesn't work (even private correspondence to the brass). There seems to be a healthy dose of hubris that permeates at the top, and I'll leave it at that. Unfortunately I sense there's a belief that GRM and CM are already world class magazines, and we don't recognize that. We should just be quiet and keep on renewing our subscriptions. (And everybody knows what happened to General Motors).

That is a surprising sense to get, considering we have responded to you directly, taken your advice under review (you will see less self-promoting pages in upcoming issues) and are jumping on ideas. But, uh, thanks. This certainly inspires us. Especially the personal comments. As for a new premium sports car not being a "real" car, we heard the same E36 M3e when we talked about the then-new e30 M3. Where the hell do you think many of the best "grassroots" cars started out?

It is difficult to publish these days, and when you add in the direct involvement we maintain in the stuff we feature, yeah, it's easy to see how enthusiasm can read as pride. So even though it's often painful to hear, thanks for the feedback everyone. It does help, it does matter, and we do use it.

Gary, though, man...

Margie

Gary wrote:

EastCoastMojo wrote: In reply to Gary: Perhaps asking nicely gets more favorable results than "harping". Just an observation.

Been trying all tactics. I'm afraid that doesn't work (even private correspondence to the brass). There seems to be a healthy dose of hubris that permeates at the top, and I'll leave it at that. Unfortunately I sense there's a belief that GRM and CM are already world class magazines, and we don't recognize that. We should just be quiet and keep on renewing our subscriptions. (And everybody knows what happened to General Motors).

I tried to let this slide....but just couldn't.

Ok.....just so I've got this straight----- GRM / CMS are victims of hubris because we don't drop everything and immediately follow one reader's wishes? Gotcha.....

I've been with the magazine for nearly 13 years now. Within that period of time our staff has had countless meetings on how we can serve our readership better. We are constantly working to make GRM and CMS more interesting, more attractive, and more readable publications. We will continue to do this, and we will continue to listen to our readership in an effort to make our magazines the very best we can. (if they are "World Class" or not is up to you)

Please keep the constructive criticism coming--- as we really do listen and pay attention. Please don't be offended if every one of your ideas isn't implemented though.....as we have many readers to serve, and not all requests are feasible, or logical.

By the way.....currently we have the following project / semi-project cars on staff:

Factory 5 818---- Sub $20K build

SVT Focus---- $3,500

1991 Nissan 240sx---- $3,500 (maybe)

1997 BMW E36 M3---- $10K at most

2003 Nissan 350Z---- $7K or so

1992 Miata endurance racer--- purchased for $500

2014 BMW M235i------$45K (yes, this one is expensive)

JG just bought an old MR2 for less than $10K, and we are constantly finishing project cars and looking for new ones. Please keep the ideas coming, as we are very interested in what interests you.

And thanks for reading!

In reply to Joe Gearin: IMHO any one of the above is worth the price of admission, needs more Lesley though

In response to Margie, I read a lot of car magazines and there are some standard bearers out there. Sadly not CM or GRM. I'm a charter subscriber to CM and have subscribed to GRM off and on since the mid nineties. I find the content to be less today. Sorry to be over the top on this, I realize everybody works hard and we appreciate that. We want you to grow and succeed. But take a look at the magazines from 10 years ago. They were better than today.