Disturbing Trend in GRM and CM

Several erudite posters, and there are a lot of you, mentioned that the message board reader is not the average reader. That is true. Nothing personal, but you guys (as a group) tend to skew younger and less affluent. We know this, but we also know that you are our most passionate readers and we love and respect you for this.

How dare you question my affluence! I am wearing a mahogony smoking jacket lined with bald eagle feathers right now.

For the record, I hope what I placed here was seen as constructive criticism from a long time subscriber and fan and not just piling on. I'd like to see more detail in technical articles. If that does not fit the demographic of your target reader... it isn't like I'm taking my ball and going home. I still need to use the bathroom every day . The fact that the forum exists and I know you do read it gives an opportunity for me to be able to make a request like that. That in itself is uniquely hands-on.

So... I love that you take the time to pop in here. I like that you and your staff are active participants, sponsor club racing and so on. So, thanks for putting out a good product and hosting this forum for us to complain about it.

I read Classic Motorsports cover to cover the minute I get it. It is my favorite magazine by far. I keep forgetting that I need to change the postage address of my GRM subscription so it keeps going to a place I used to live. Oops. It isn't that I am not interested in GRM stuff, it is just that I like the older stuff that CM covers more.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: How dare you question my affluence! I am wearing a mahogony smoking jacket lined with bald eagle feathers right now.

I thought it was questioning your effluence with the all the bathroom talk.

Quit lumping me in with yourselves, Philistines.

I don't drive rust buckets held together with duct tape and bondo. Nor do I appreciate the implication that I do because I like this forum.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Several erudite posters, and there are a lot of you, mentioned that the message board reader is not the average reader. That is true. Nothing personal, but you guys (as a group) tend to skew younger and less affluent. We know this, but we also know that you are our most passionate readers and we love and respect you for this.

How dare you question my affluence! I am wearing a mahogony smoking jacket lined with bald eagle feathers right now.

Ugh, you beat me to it you bastardo!

oldtin wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: How dare you question my affluence! I am wearing a mahogony smoking jacket lined with bald eagle feathers right now.

I thought it was questioning your effluence with the all the bathroom talk.

My good man, I'll have you know I've read the likes of Hemmingway, Asimov and Stephenson on that throne. It is a place of honor. In different times that clever little word play would demand a duel... but I have to go flay the servants for not taking their laundry to their rooms.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

oldtin wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: How dare you question my affluence! I am wearing a mahogony smoking jacket lined with bald eagle feathers right now.

I thought it was questioning your effluence with the all the bathroom talk.

My good man, I'll have you know I've read the likes of Hemmingway, Asimov and Stephenson on that throne. It is a place of honor. In different times that clever little word play would demand a duel... but I have to go flay the servants for not taking their laundry to their rooms.

Now see here my good man! I take great umbrage to the idea that you would allow yourself direct contact with your servants, do you not have servants to take care of such a thing?

Tim Suddard wrote: More than anything, I think the average person wants to learn, laugh and be entertained.

Agreed.

I remember a hardcore sports car magazine that didn't cater to the average person who wanted to be entertained. One that was for the serious sports car enthusiast.

foxtrapper wrote:

Tim Suddard wrote: More than anything, I think the average person wants to learn, laugh and be entertained.

Agreed. I remember a hardcore sports car magazine that didn't cater to the average person who wanted to be entertained. One that was for the serious sports car enthusiast.

+1

foxtrapper wrote:

Tim Suddard wrote: More than anything, I think the average person wants to learn, laugh and be entertained.

Agreed. I remember a hardcore sports car magazine that didn't cater to the average person who wanted to be entertained. One that was for the serious sports car enthusiast.

You ready to pay $100+ year for subscription when the audience is dramatically smaller?

z31maniac wrote:

foxtrapper wrote:

Tim Suddard wrote: More than anything, I think the average person wants to learn, laugh and be entertained.

Agreed. I remember a hardcore sports car magazine that didn't cater to the average person who wanted to be entertained. One that was for the serious sports car enthusiast.

You ready to pay $100+ year for subscription when the audience is dramatically smaller?

Yes. I already do for other magazines that cater to the sport.

modernbeat wrote:

z31maniac wrote: You ready to pay $100+ year for subscription when the audience is dramatically smaller?

Yes. I already do for other magazines that cater to the sport.

bourgeoisie pig!!!

modernbeat wrote:

z31maniac wrote:

foxtrapper wrote:

Tim Suddard wrote: More than anything, I think the average person wants to learn, laugh and be entertained.

Agreed. I remember a hardcore sports car magazine that didn't cater to the average person who wanted to be entertained. One that was for the serious sports car enthusiast.

You ready to pay $100+ year for subscription when the audience is dramatically smaller?

Yes. I already do for other magazines that cater to the sport.

I would too, I buy lots of British car mags that are $10 per issue.

However, I suspect most of those who complain about new car reviews and the like, would not pay the higher cost imposed by smaller readership and less advertising due to the smaller readership.

In reply to z31maniac:

Funny, it didn't cost more when it catered to us 5-10 years ago...

I actually liked the porsche renew article , I thought $4500 was a reasonable total for what was done . It made me happy for that money my boy Tom Clark could rebuild 3 or 4 or 5 Chevy 350s for projects . The Miura is way out of reach . .

I still think GRM is the best car magazine out there. It's the only one that I know of that combines pretty much everything I like into one package. I used to subscribe to GRM, Car Craft, Hot Rod, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and Motor Trend. Now it's down to just GRM.

I'm a little eccentric and scatterbrained when it comes to what I like in life, and my love of cars is no exception. In my stable right now is a late model FWD hatchback, a truck, a small 80's FWD turbo car that was once popular with Auto-X enthusiasts, and a RWD 70's pony car with a honkin' V8. I have the new car to drive daily and all the others are for fun or utility. With the exception of the truck, GRM covers them all.

I love the buyer's guides, and I like the trend of having a classic and modern car featured in every issue. I hope this continues, as it's good to know what you are looking at when you are looking for cars for yourself or for friends and family looking for something fun to drive.

As far as the tech articles go, I mostly find them to be pretty good. I understand that the magazine has to pay bills through sponsored revenue and agreements with advertisers, so while I sometimes get disappointed with one of the Project Cars (especially the WRX ones), I can sympathize. For example, I was pulling so hard for the GRM crew to go with open source tuning rather than the Cobb AccessPort with the newest one, because it's so much more affordable for the average person to do rather than dropping $700+ on something that has less tuning options. A Tactrix Cable goes for $170 these days, maybe even less. It's so easy to do and you can use the money saved to get other parts. But I get it, so I'll let that slide.

Please keep up the good work!

z31maniac wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Several erudite posters, and there are a lot of you, mentioned that the message board reader is not the average reader. That is true. Nothing personal, but you guys (as a group) tend to skew younger and less affluent. We know this, but we also know that you are our most passionate readers and we love and respect you for this.

How dare you question my affluence! I am wearing a mahogony smoking jacket lined with bald eagle feathers right now.

Ugh, you beat me to it you bastardo!

Do your smoking jackets have the relief panels under the arms allowing for full range of motion? Between that and the stiching made entirely from the silk of a single albino free range silkworm I do suspect I have the swankiest smoking jacket of them all.

JoeyM wrote: What I want to read is a magazine named "GRM: What is happening in Andy Nelson's Garage?" I understand, however, that this would not be a viable business model.

You have eloquently and simply described what I was saying earlier. You and I may be the only subscribers, but I'd buy that mag.

Truth is I want the freakshow. I dont care to read anything else about a Miata unless someone is stuffing a merlin V12 in it. I'd like a magazine built on the concept of "YOU DID WHAT?!?"

Not a viable product idea of course, just what I'd love to see. But I appreciate what the folks at GRM do put out none the less. It is obvious that they are hands on in what they do, and I have no qualms with what they do or the level of tech other than I personally am not interested in new(er) cars, racing, or bellybutton cars. But that's my personal preference and I know its not a widely held preference. I'll happily continue to support the magazine for the great people who run it and the effort they put forth. And occasionally I may find a flat 6 powered Skoda or a quad rotor Trabant hidden in those pages and I smile. I can't even hope that of any other magazine so GRM is still tops in my book :)

In reply to JoeyM:

I had to burn my mahogany smoking jacket for light to read Race Tech (and GRM) by!

Answering z31maniac's question; yes, there are two $100+/yr race magazines I take. If I could get that level of crunchy, but aimed more at the racing available on this side of the pond (and with fewer F1-tech articles), I'd pay that giddily.

However, I'm not suggesting GRM should go that route; I'd be bummed for 20-years-ago me who couldn't afford it. I am taking this opportunity to go back through my vast library of GRMs and compare the tech content while pondering Tim's observations.

I had another thought about that, similar to something Mitchell said; The same article fifteen years ago would have seemed crunchier to me at the time. "You can't weld dirt" at that point in time would have had me looking thoughtfully at the page and saying to nobody in particular, "that makes a lot of sense, now that you mention it." Today I want tidbits on why to use CO2 or a CO2/argon mix for MIG, or whether to use thoriated or lanthanated TIG electrodes and when (which could make a "10 welding tips" article really unwieldy).

Wrapping up, I would like to echo those who have pointed out, again, that GRM is still about the best thing going, and that it is staggering the extent to which the GRM folks are involved in the sport and on the forum. Thank you, guys.

bravenrace wrote: In reply to z31maniac: Funny, it didn't cost more when it catered to us 5-10 years ago...

lots of things didn't cost more back then

Need more ran when parked

nocones wrote:

z31maniac wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Several erudite posters, and there are a lot of you, mentioned that the message board reader is not the average reader. That is true. Nothing personal, but you guys (as a group) tend to skew younger and less affluent. We know this, but we also know that you are our most passionate readers and we love and respect you for this.

How dare you question my affluence! I am wearing a mahogony smoking jacket lined with bald eagle feathers right now.

Ugh, you beat me to it you bastardo!

Do your smoking jackets have the relief panels under the arms allowing for full range of motion? Between that and the stiching made entirely from the silk of a single albino free range silkworm I do suspect I have the swankiest smoking jacket of them all.

Yes, but are your elbow patches made of the finest whale penis leather?

JThw8 wrote: I'd like a magazine built on the concept of "YOU DID WHAT?!?"

+100

z31maniac wrote: Yes, but are your elbow patches made of the finest whale penis leather?

Don't be silly, that stuff is reserved for really ugly shoes

Ugly to the Proletariat, not surprising.

Stop dissin mah shoes!