[urq] One cool magazine.

Fri Nov 21 08:50:26 PST 2008

I kind of have to agree with Brandon.  

I have had a subscription to R&T since 1975, but have grown less enthused
with reading it.  I think I keep renewing it partially due to how long I've
been getting it, partially due to Peter Egan's monthly column, and because
they keep making it so darn cheap.  I just renewed this week for another 3
years for a whole 22 bux.  I used to read every word on every page and could
recite the Road Test Summary from memory, not because I memorized the
Summary, but because I read every road test and retained the information.
Now I read Egan's bit and flip the pages and read a third to a half of the
articles on a good month.  Eventually I might read everything in an issue if
I continually forget to take the next new one to the reading room.

I've subscribed to C&D and Automobile over the years as well, even Motor
Trend.  The last year I had a MT subscription was the year they declared the
Caprice Classic as Car of the Year.  What complete pile of shit and
undeniable evidence that CotY was not about a good car, but the highest
marketing bidder.  

C&D used to be the cool, irreverant, crazy one, kind of like Top Gear in
print, but then they homogenized.  Yawn.

Aren't all the mags, or almost all of them, owned under the same publishing
umbrella now?  I know I can renew at least a couple online at the same site.

I absolutely loved Automobile, but then not... I don't remember why
exactly... I think Jean took over for David E, and relinquished the back
page to someone I just don't get.  I resubscribed a couple years ago but let
it lapse again.  

Another factor in my disinterest in all of them has been the foray's into
other worlds of transportation modes, maybe out of some sort of need to
diversify, but probably to keep up with the trends... the SUV trend, etc.
My tastes have stayed pretty much the same over the years, the average car
buyer's has not.  Hey, I can wash my cars at night because I've been
covering the same body style for the last decade plus a couple years.  I
know every inch, every cranny, every nook.  It amuses me when people walk by
and say "You're going to miss a spot".  Not.  Come by tomorrow morning and
have a look.  Betcha.

I also used to get european car for many years.  But they progressed beyond
the generation of vehicles I was interested in and I lost interest in that
mag altogether.  Plus that guy, the editor, what's his name...  Les Bidrawn,
seems like kind of an arrogant douche.  Maybe it's just his picture in his
column header.  Again, yawn.

Anyway, today I still get R&T and Autoweek (again for many years but with
waning interest).

They all seem to think they need a website now and split their output
between them to various extents.  I'm still stuck in the sit-and-read mode
and spend enough time at the computer that I haven't quite warmed to the
idea of reading car magazines online.  

However, considering that I have kept every issue of every magazine that
I've ever received through the mail since 1975, I'm beginning to rethink the
whole thing...  But what to do with all these?  I doubt libraries would even
want them anymore.

Ed

> -----Original Message-----
> From: urq-bounces at audifans.com 
> [mailto:urq-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Brandon Rogers
> Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 9:14 AM
> To: 'Louis-Alain Richard'; urq at audifans.com; quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: [urq] One cool magazine.
> 
> 
> Of all the mags - C&D, R&T, Motortrend (worst!), European 
> car, etc - they have all turned to crap IMO - Automobile has 
> it's good parts, yes, but still let it lapse a couple years 
> ago.  The magazine I have been _really_ enjoying for the last 
> 2 years is Hemmings Sports & Exotic.  No new car reviews, all 
> old stuff - sports and exotics - hence the name.  I'm not 
> into the old British stuff (which the mag is slanted to) - 
> but it's a lot more fun to read about than the new Prius and 
> Accord....
> 
> Brandon
> '84 ur
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: urq-bounces at audifans.com 
> [mailto:urq-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Louis-Alain Richard
> Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 6:59 PM
> To: urq at audifans.com; quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: [urq] One cool magazine.
> 
> 
> I know not everyone likes Automobile Magazine. But I kinda 
> appreciate the style. In the last issue (the DEC 08 with the 
> Volt on the cover), there is one magnificent article on the 
> Citroen DS, one car that (you know me now.) I'd really love 
> to own one day. That Sam Smith makes me jealous : we do the 
> same job, but I'd pay the Devil big bucks to write this kind 
> of automotive "love affair".
> 
>  
> 
> And to be Audi contented a bit, that same guy has a lot in 
> common with us :
> 
>  
> 
> http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6264133/car-ramblings-reviews/t
his-man-has-a-
dream-and-god-bless-him-for-it/index.html 

Louis-Alain

Who needs a cross-country road trip to get out of his "office at home".
Anybody has a car to pick in Vancouver ?

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