Top Gear magazine...
Discussion
I used to buy this publication religiously in the 1990s and found it well-written and a good compromise between the mundane and the exotic. By about 2002, I had started buying Evo magazine instead, as it focussed more on the types of cars that I was interested in and was less about boot space and "features". I dip into Top Gear magazine occasionally for old time's sake and recently acquired the "James Bond" issue. I was quite keen to read Chris Evan's article on the DB10, as he had actually driven it. I have read one of his newspaper reviews before (Mazda CX3) and found it quite poor but was willing to give him a second chance.
He's obviously a petrolhead, fairly knowledgeable about cars and has the opportunity to drive and the wherewithal to own pretty much whatever car he likes and I like him more than I used to but there was nothing in the article whatsoever about what it was like to drive. Being subjective, this is often the hardest aspect to write about and relay to the reader but this is a concern with new-Top Gear, as for all his faults (and he does have many), Clarkson knows how to write an entertaining column and communicate enthusiasm for how a car drives. The rest of the magazine was similarly dumbed-down. Has anyone else found this with Top Gear magazine? I've tried Autocar on other PHers recommendations and it's better but I haven't completely gelled with it and I still enjoy Evo but sometimes it doesn't review any cars that I can afford or give me any insight on some of my more mundane buying decisions i.e. which 5 door supermini is best (and best to drive)!
I write motoring reviews as a hobby for my local newspaper and whilst I don't claim to be one of the greats, I feel that most of my reviews are at least as good as and sometimes better than the ones I read in Top Gear magazine. Frustrating, when motoring journalist is a job that I have always aspired to!
He's obviously a petrolhead, fairly knowledgeable about cars and has the opportunity to drive and the wherewithal to own pretty much whatever car he likes and I like him more than I used to but there was nothing in the article whatsoever about what it was like to drive. Being subjective, this is often the hardest aspect to write about and relay to the reader but this is a concern with new-Top Gear, as for all his faults (and he does have many), Clarkson knows how to write an entertaining column and communicate enthusiasm for how a car drives. The rest of the magazine was similarly dumbed-down. Has anyone else found this with Top Gear magazine? I've tried Autocar on other PHers recommendations and it's better but I haven't completely gelled with it and I still enjoy Evo but sometimes it doesn't review any cars that I can afford or give me any insight on some of my more mundane buying decisions i.e. which 5 door supermini is best (and best to drive)!
I write motoring reviews as a hobby for my local newspaper and whilst I don't claim to be one of the greats, I feel that most of my reviews are at least as good as and sometimes better than the ones I read in Top Gear magazine. Frustrating, when motoring journalist is a job that I have always aspired to!
white_goodman said:
I used to buy this publication religiously in the 1990s and found it well-written and a good compromise between the mundane and the exotic. By about 2002, I had started buying Evo magazine instead, as it focussed more on the types of cars that I was interested in and was less about boot space and "features". I dip into Top Gear magazine occasionally for old time's sake and recently acquired the "James Bond" issue. I was quite keen to read Chris Evan's article on the DB10, as he had actually driven it. I have read one of his newspaper reviews before (Mazda CX3) and found it quite poor but was willing to give him a second chance.
He's obviously a petrolhead, fairly knowledgeable about cars and has the opportunity to drive and the wherewithal to own pretty much whatever car he likes and I like him more than I used to but there was nothing in the article whatsoever about what it was like to drive. Being subjective, this is often the hardest aspect to write about and relay to the reader but this is a concern with new-Top Gear, as for all his faults (and he does have many), Clarkson knows how to write an entertaining column and communicate enthusiasm for how a car drives. The rest of the magazine was similarly dumbed-down. Has anyone else found this with Top Gear magazine? I've tried Autocar on other PHers recommendations and it's better but I haven't completely gelled with it and I still enjoy Evo but sometimes it doesn't review any cars that I can afford or give me any insight on some of my more mundane buying decisions i.e. which 5 door supermini is best (and best to drive)!
I write motoring reviews as a hobby for my local newspaper and whilst I don't claim to be one of the greats, I feel that most of my reviews are at least as good as and sometimes better than the ones I read in Top Gear magazine. Frustrating, when motoring journalist is a job that I have always aspired to!
I too used to buy Top Gear magazine from when it first came out but I haven't bothered with it for the last few years apart from the odd selected issue. Still buy EVO but, like you, I find most of the expensive cars with a few exceptions don't really interest me. There seemed to be a new McLaren or Pagani/Lamborghini variant every few months so I find it hard to get enthused about cars I'll never drive. They still do the affordable stuff well though which I enjoy reading. That sort of stuff is more of a throwback to the old Performance Car ( that came from Hot Car ) and which, like Fast Lane, started up when I started driving.He's obviously a petrolhead, fairly knowledgeable about cars and has the opportunity to drive and the wherewithal to own pretty much whatever car he likes and I like him more than I used to but there was nothing in the article whatsoever about what it was like to drive. Being subjective, this is often the hardest aspect to write about and relay to the reader but this is a concern with new-Top Gear, as for all his faults (and he does have many), Clarkson knows how to write an entertaining column and communicate enthusiasm for how a car drives. The rest of the magazine was similarly dumbed-down. Has anyone else found this with Top Gear magazine? I've tried Autocar on other PHers recommendations and it's better but I haven't completely gelled with it and I still enjoy Evo but sometimes it doesn't review any cars that I can afford or give me any insight on some of my more mundane buying decisions i.e. which 5 door supermini is best (and best to drive)!
I write motoring reviews as a hobby for my local newspaper and whilst I don't claim to be one of the greats, I feel that most of my reviews are at least as good as and sometimes better than the ones I read in Top Gear magazine. Frustrating, when motoring journalist is a job that I have always aspired to!
Unlike many, I still buy Autocar. For me, no UK mag does a better road test analysis although I miss the old road test trips that people like Sutcliffe and Harris did so well - things like the Focus RS through Europe, E46 M3 from South of France to UK etc
Good luck to you as an aspiring motoring journalist. Just concentrate on the cars, cut the waffle - at least until you are a Name- and do the realistic pragmatic stuff which most of us actually drive, as well as the fast/ glamour cars. There must be a happy and commercial medium between "what city hatch?" And " I ruined 4 tyres on track day ." The former annoys by being boring, the latter by relating to a tiny audience. A
David87 said:
Is Top Gear magazine aimed at a target audience who aren't actually old enough to drive? A lot of it reads like that. 
I think you might have hit the nail on the head there! I read a comparo of the latest 3-Series/C-Class/Jaguar XE last night and it was odd. Something felt like it was missing! Back in the mid-90s it was very well written actually. Do any of the writers actually know anything about/like cars or are they just good at reading the brochure/press pack?vx220 said:
Overtaking National Express coaches is a long drawn out affair...David87 said:
Is Top Gear magazine aimed at a target audience who aren't actually old enough to drive? A lot of it reads like that.
a friend of mine gave me a Top Gear hardback book as an xmas present afew years back. I thought it was crap. full of general knowledge and nonsense a 20+ year old with a good interest in cars would not care of. It might be interesting to a kid. but not an adult.ambuletz said:
a friend of mine gave me a Top Gear hardback book as an xmas present afew years back. I thought it was crap. full of general knowledge and nonsense a 20+ year old with a good interest in cars would not care of. It might be interesting to a kid. but not an adult.
I was 13 when I started reading Top Gear, so no driving licence but I actually enjoyed reading about how cars drove. Even back then, I would have found their current journalistic style quite insulting!
white_goodman said:
I was 13 when I started reading Top Gear, so no driving licence but I actually enjoyed reading about how cars drove. Even back then, I would have found their current journalistic style quite insulting!
Top gear magazine gives me a sore head , it's just all over the place, I just end up looking at the pictures , and autocar used to be great but has gone off the boil recently , I ended up with retro cars last time as I couldn't find anything else interesting I haven't bought a copy of Top Gear for years; I pick it up occasionally in the supermarket and have a flick through but find it a bit infantile and low-brow. Evo was a favourite for a while but I lost interest in it.
Car magazine is the one that I buy regularly now - I'm confident enough in the quality of the writing and the mix of articles that I'll stick it in the trolley without previewing it - I can't ever remember thinking that it was money wasted.
Octane gets purchased maybe once or twice a year, generally when going away on holiday, knowing that I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands; more for the 'Wow, how much?' amusement factor of the price of 'classics' than the written articles.
Despite the wealth of info available on-line I still enjoy a good magazine.
Car magazine is the one that I buy regularly now - I'm confident enough in the quality of the writing and the mix of articles that I'll stick it in the trolley without previewing it - I can't ever remember thinking that it was money wasted.
Octane gets purchased maybe once or twice a year, generally when going away on holiday, knowing that I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands; more for the 'Wow, how much?' amusement factor of the price of 'classics' than the written articles.
Despite the wealth of info available on-line I still enjoy a good magazine.
SWMBO got me a subscription to TG a few years back. Same old same old every month & i`m pretty sure I did`nt even bother to open a couple of them.
Not bought it since.
Evans is a DJ not a Journalist so I don`t really see why he is writing in the magazine anyway & I`m pretty sure Clarkson & May would be awful doing Breakfast on Radio 2!
Hammond on the other hand started in radio & imo should have stayed there. His articles in TG mag were woeful.
Not bought it since.
Evans is a DJ not a Journalist so I don`t really see why he is writing in the magazine anyway & I`m pretty sure Clarkson & May would be awful doing Breakfast on Radio 2!
Hammond on the other hand started in radio & imo should have stayed there. His articles in TG mag were woeful.
white_goodman said:
I was 13 when I started reading Top Gear, so no driving licence but I actually enjoyed reading about how cars drove. Even back then, I would have found their current journalistic style quite insulting!
I also enjoyed Top Gear magazine before I could drive, but lost interest as soon as I acquired a licence. There is no one 'ideal' magazine for me, anymore, unfortunately. If I see an issue of Autocar reviewing something that interests me, then I'll buy that, likewise with the occasional Evo feature, but neither has been able to tempt me into a regular subscription. If I had to choose one I would probably go for CAR magazine.I haven't bought more than 2 car mags in the last 2 years!
Evo's 200th issue. Which just served to remind me how far it's fallen since the 100th issue with Flemkes McLaren et al.
Car and Classic. At Heathrow so I had something to read on the flight.
I suspect that's because by the time it reaches print, I've already seen the new SL or whatever on here. Magazines are for the most part a dying thing. Good books can survive of course, but they can't be a subject that moves as quickly.
Evo's 200th issue. Which just served to remind me how far it's fallen since the 100th issue with Flemkes McLaren et al.
Car and Classic. At Heathrow so I had something to read on the flight.
I suspect that's because by the time it reaches print, I've already seen the new SL or whatever on here. Magazines are for the most part a dying thing. Good books can survive of course, but they can't be a subject that moves as quickly.
RIchW said magazines are for the most part a dying thing. Correct. Occasionally, though, we want a bit more detail, and people don't like to pay for things on line; they are only just recovering from the cost of the I-pad. a mag can still be a pleasing artefact, but things deteriorate and boredom arises when editors, of whom there appear to be far too many in a Byzantine pecking order, some constantly changing their titles, start pontificating about " issues" and turn in to social commentators with elephantitis of the ego!
I've had subs for both Evo and Topgear for a few years now. Totally agree topgear has gone downhill rapidly recently. I used to really like Clarkson and May's column. Though Hammond's was usually poor. I don't care for the current columnists at all. The reviews are dull. Trying to be funny and failing. The last few issues really gimmicky. The "Cool Cars" was terrible. Must be the 20th time they've filled a mag with cheap fact specials without really driving or offering new insight. Bond is a repeat. As noted most other segments are clearly aimed at 10-14 year old. The last article I read with interest was Wilman's take on the rise of the TV show.
In contrast Evo has some great writing if a bit up its own backside. Dario Franchitti's column is worth the subs alone. Lately they've added some great tech insight features pitched very high brow. Stunning photography, genuinely interesting and odd cars. The eCoty and the one with the Singer have been excellent.
Mags have possibly had their day but like reading a paper it's nice not to be staring at screen.
In contrast Evo has some great writing if a bit up its own backside. Dario Franchitti's column is worth the subs alone. Lately they've added some great tech insight features pitched very high brow. Stunning photography, genuinely interesting and odd cars. The eCoty and the one with the Singer have been excellent.
Mags have possibly had their day but like reading a paper it's nice not to be staring at screen.
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