What is happening at EVO magazine?

What is happening at EVO magazine?

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Discussion

mikeg996

Original Poster:

875 posts

230 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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daniel-5zjw7 said:
I'll always remember EVO fondly mind for what it used to be, plus I was lucky enough to have a full feature of my old car going back a few years (a 4k Subaru Impreza Type RA), which was a great experience, especially working on it with Henry Catchpole who I'd been following since he very first joined.
Does Catchpole put as many (non-paranthetical) paranthetical statements in to his speech as he does his prose?

biggrin

ChocolateFrog

28,895 posts

181 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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I'm surprised print has lasted as long as it has.

Surely it's been akin to pissing in the wind for years now.

K50 DEL

9,367 posts

236 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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I started to lose patience with it when they got greedy and went to 13 issues a year... ending up in the ridiculous situation where the issue that dropped through my letterbox on October 27th is actually marked as January 2018

Aside from that, there's no doubt that the pool of writing talent that they have now is much shallower than it was in the days of Harry, Yu, Bovingdon et al

I currently still subscribe but I am starting to wonder why, it's been a long time since articles so good that they made you feel like you were there.

Prinny

1,669 posts

107 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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Having had the time (finally) to open the package last night, what galls me the most is the complete lack of comment about the changes, if nothing else, a footnote to Mr. Gallager's comments at the front of the mag should have been there.

Without it, this is just another one of the increasingly prevalent decontent/downgrade that we are seeing across the consumer goods sphere. When will the general public cry "enough"!?

Coca Cola brought in the 1.75l bottle to replace the 2l bottle with the marketing using the justification of the "classic" coke bottle shape. Many (many) confectionery products now have a smaller weight in the same pack size, for the same cost.

For sugary things like my examples above, It's not a big deal. For a magazine that prides itself on content, the downgrade to size & quality is just not good enough. Raise the price instead! I am happy to pay more to receive what I perceive as good value.

Evo used to have good writing & photography, the 'return' of Barker et al is bringing the prose back from the doldrums (imo), but now the photography/printing is going downhill (the picture on pg 86 of the 2x GT3 is especially bad).

So, without the consultation, I've therefore decided to vote in the only way left open to me.

Subscription cancelled.

RobM77

35,349 posts

242 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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Whilst I agree I prefer the old Evo (I have every issue since 001), I thought that this month's has shown a return to form. I've been away all weekend, but last night sat down and read the 720S in Italy feature and found it really well written and the photography superb; I really felt like I was there. I also much prefer the matt cover and paper, which feels nicer and is far easier to read without reflections getting in the way. The early Evos were matt like that and I always liked it.

Wozza

203 posts

292 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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I like the changes to the latest issue and i think the quality of the magazine generally has picked up in the last few months as the new Editor has got his feet under the table.

The previous editor was a disaster and sent me very close to cancelling my subscription. However, with the return of some more seasoned writers, the format changes and the choice of editorial content lately, I've really enjoyed it again.

There's something I enjoy about reading a magazine over digital content and I hope publishing can remain viable for a good time yet. Otherwise all we've have to watch will be sub-standard YouTube content and that really will be something to moan about

hondansx

4,681 posts

233 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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Was going to say that, the old version of the mag was matt!

I don't really see the problem with it all. It's still much better than anything online. I could pick apart most PH articles and certainly can't watch much of the YouTube nonsense. And i'm 30, not 70!

Uncle John

4,514 posts

199 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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Wish they would bring back Performance Car.

s m

23,525 posts

211 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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Uncle John said:
Wish they would bring back Performance Car.
Which one?

Escort3500

12,352 posts

153 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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Wozza said:
I like the changes to the latest issue and i think the quality of the magazine generally has picked up in the last few months as the new Editor has got his feet under the table.

The previous editor was a disaster and sent me very close to cancelling my subscription. However, with the return of some more seasoned writers, the format changes and the choice of editorial content lately, I've really enjoyed it again.

There's something I enjoy about reading a magazine over digital content and I hope publishing can remain viable for a good time yet. Otherwise all we've have to watch will be sub-standard YouTube content and that really will be something to moan about
Previous editor Nick Trott? He was awful. Just dribbled on about his 911 and wrote superficial reviews and tests, unlike his then-contemporaries like Catchpole and Bovingdon. Still in two minds whether to pull the plug on my subscription; their continuing obsession with top end cars is only slightly offset by occasional articles of real interest for me.

ClockworkCupcake

76,170 posts

280 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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Escort3500 said:
Still in two minds whether to pull the plug on my subscription; their continuing obsession with top end cars is only slightly offset by occasional articles of real interest for me.
Same here. The recent Hot Hatch group test, and first drive of the new Hyundai hatch, made me question whether to continue after all, then this month's issue of 911s and McLarens sent me the other way again.

I get that for some people the unattainable hypercar us a fantasy that they can enjoy viscerally by reading about, but it rather leaves me cold as it is so divorced from my reality.

havoc

30,964 posts

243 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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ClockworkCupcake said:
Escort3500 said:
Still in two minds whether to pull the plug on my subscription; their continuing obsession with top end cars is only slightly offset by occasional articles of real interest for me.
Same here. The recent Hot Hatch group test, and first drive of the new Hyundai hatch, made me question whether to continue after all, then this month's issue of 911s and McLarens sent me the other way again.

I get that for some people the unattainable hypercar us a fantasy that they can enjoy viscerally by reading about, but it rather leaves me cold as it is so divorced from my reality.
I agree.

However, I do also acknowledge that:-
- There's a sizeable readership group that buy the mag for the escapism;
- The manufacturers keep (unreasonably, of course) making lots of new expensive supercars and far fewer affordable sports cars. Made worse as the shelf-life of a supercar is shorter than that of a more mainstream machine;
- Prices for some 'staple' performance cars (e.g. M3 / 911 C2) have risen well ahead of wage inflation, even before adjusting for the reduction in disposable income caused by rocketing housing costs (rent or mortgage). Which means that the 'middle ground' of performance cars is now ambition over reality for more and more people...

...and in evo's position:-
- They can't ignore a new-supercar release because "we've done 3 this year already";
- Given a choice between testing the latest warm hatch from SsangYong or testing the latest Ferrari competitior, can you blame them...


All that said, I'm with the OP 100% - the lack of eCOTY is a big disappointment, and the new paper feels a lot lower quality, and seems to lack the elasticity of the old paper, which means it'll crease easier.

BTW - what's with having the "Jan-18" issue in October-17?!? FFS! banghead

RobM77

35,349 posts

242 months

Monday 30th October 2017
quotequote all
havoc said:
ClockworkCupcake said:
Escort3500 said:
Still in two minds whether to pull the plug on my subscription; their continuing obsession with top end cars is only slightly offset by occasional articles of real interest for me.
Same here. The recent Hot Hatch group test, and first drive of the new Hyundai hatch, made me question whether to continue after all, then this month's issue of 911s and McLarens sent me the other way again.

I get that for some people the unattainable hypercar us a fantasy that they can enjoy viscerally by reading about, but it rather leaves me cold as it is so divorced from my reality.
I agree.

However, I do also acknowledge that:-
- There's a sizeable readership group that buy the mag for the escapism;
- The manufacturers keep (unreasonably, of course) making lots of new expensive supercars and far fewer affordable sports cars. Made worse as the shelf-life of a supercar is shorter than that of a more mainstream machine;
- Prices for some 'staple' performance cars (e.g. M3 / 911 C2) have risen well ahead of wage inflation, even before adjusting for the reduction in disposable income caused by rocketing housing costs (rent or mortgage). Which means that the 'middle ground' of performance cars is now ambition over reality for more and more people...

...and in evo's position:-
- They can't ignore a new-supercar release because "we've done 3 this year already";
- Given a choice between testing the latest warm hatch from SsangYong or testing the latest Ferrari competitior, can you blame them...


All that said, I'm with the OP 100% - the lack of eCOTY is a big disappointment, and the new paper feels a lot lower quality, and seems to lack the elasticity of the old paper, which means it'll crease easier.

BTW - what's with having the "Jan-18" issue in October-17?!? FFS! banghead
yes There are different types of car enthusiast, even within Evo's readership, and I think there's always a balance to be struck. Evo cover affordable cars that we read about with a view to buying, older cars (some affordable, some not) and supercars, which for a fortunate few they'll read about with a view to buying, but for most of us we just want to know what they're like. I think Evo normally get that balance pretty spot on. For example, supercars are often reviewed with a road trip story in another country (this month's 702S in Italy feature, or last month's Ford GT in Norway feature), which is a clever tactic as it means that dreamers like me get an additional dimension of interest reading the story; whereas more affordable cars are often reviewed in a more practical way so the average reader can discover whether they want to look at buying the car.

C7 JFW

1,205 posts

227 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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I was a subscriber to EVO for somewhere in the region of 6 years.

One day I had a call to say that my 'offer', or the annual subscription fee I pay to anyone normal, was no longer being continued and that would be the end of it.

Rather than ask if I wanted to continue, they simply said my subscription would cease. Nobody has contacted me since to ask if I'd renew, nor take out a brand new subscription.

They rang me, said no thanks and that was that.

Evolved? Nope. And they wonder why they're struggling.

Try the basics. Comically poor.

Scottie - NW

1,334 posts

241 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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Having been an EVO subscriber since issue 40 I am about to cancel as well.

The loss of Harry, and then Henry and Jethro, and they are all getting replaced by boring writers. It feels like there is the stereotypical boring account in charge now, Stuart Gallagher I think, the life is sucked out of it. Nick Trott was not much better either, far too flash.

For me EVO used to be all that a magazine for driving enthusiasts should be, I even bought a car based on their opinion and loved it.

It's sad to see it in the state it is now.

Clockwork Cupcake

76,170 posts

280 months

Monday 30th October 2017
quotequote all
havoc said:
...and in evo's position:-
- They can't ignore a new-supercar release because "we've done 3 this year already";
- Given a choice between testing the latest warm hatch from SsangYong or testing the latest Ferrari competitior, can you blame them...
Oh, I completely agree with you and of course EVO can't ignore that. And, as you say, the escapism is almost certainly what some readers want and they aren't interested in "ordinary" cars. I get that.

EVO have changed, and I have changed, and I guess we've just grown apart. smile

otolith

59,293 posts

212 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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Paper quality is very important in a magazine. For instance, the paper from which Auto Express is made is simply too shiny and lacking in absorbency for the only use to which one might reasonably put it.

cerb4.5lee

33,798 posts

188 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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The supercar stuff has never interested me either because they aren't attainable for me so I just skip those bits, I enjoy reading the buyers guide articles and most of the first drives, and especially enjoyed the recent M4 group supertest too.

I suppose I stick with my subscription because I've read the mag from day one, although I think flicking through the mag in a newsagents and buying it if it's an interesting issue would be the better bet.

DanielSan

19,181 posts

175 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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eCOTY could just be in next months issue instead? Just a thought. I can’t see them bothering with a track car or the year issue again, the last one was really half arsed. More a case of they’d got the pictures so may aswell use them for something

Charlie Michael

2,753 posts

192 months

Monday 30th October 2017
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otolith said:
Paper quality is very important in a magazine. For instance, the paper from which Auto Express is made is simply too shiny and lacking in absorbency for the only use to which one might reasonably put it.
hehe