New kit car magazine to hit newsagents' shelves
Discussion
grahambell said:
Just been announced that the new magazine version of totalkitcar is to be stocked in all of W H Smith's top stores and should also be available in many other retailers too.
Not just in UK either, but also in many northern European countries plus Australia and New Zealand.
This comes not exactly as a suprise to me.....
However, it should make things interesting,
but personally, whilst I wish it well, I think it will struggle to gain a toehold in the market, as the two "mainstream" titles are so well established, and let's face it, the kitcar industry is relatively small beer, and manufacturers only have so much money they can allocate to advertising...... Still, every issue it sells, may take something away from Den and Fib's publications, so certainly not good news for them........
Time will tell, as they say........
Wacky Racer said:
However, it should make things interesting,
If the mag stays true to itself, and most importantly it's readers then it should find favour, it would come as a pleasant change to read a kitcar mag that actually has the balls to do something for the industry, and the people it serves. How many years have the kitcar world been crying out because the regular press won't publicise kits positively? Well, all the time that a huge number of manufacturers have been allowed to get away with producing crap without a single bad review.... are we leaving all the critisism to the regular press.
I'm a kit buyer and I support this industry. Yeah I know that manufacturers support the mag industry, but without us they wouldn't exist, and to be frank, quite a few of them don't deserve to!
We could start a new post: the harshest thing read in a kit car mag.
"the styling is interesting" i.e. it's hideous to everyone except the designer.
"the handling isn't yet fully set up" i.e. it's a rolling death trap that tries to put you in every ditch, although the manufacturer is desparately trying to bodge a solution.
"the build held some unique challenges" I.e it was surely never designed to go together . etc, etc.
Ultimately I want to buy good kits, and want informed reviews to help me do that. If I have a good experience of a kitcar then I'll tell someone else, it's that simple. No factory would allow a product into the shops without quality control; Kitcar Mags should be our industries quality control. If they think it's crap then don't let me the public, or them the regular press get hold of it...do something.
O.k. Rant over.
Nice thought (and I agree with your comments) but it will never happen all the time the magazines rely on advertising revenue from kit car manufacturers. Even then negative reviews will just mean that magazine doesn't get any more cars to review.
The kit car industry is very very petty.
IMO don't expect Totalkitcar to be any different. It might be more readable, be more informative, better written, you never know but at the end of the day it will rely on advertising just as much as the other mags (unless Steve is minted and doing it for the love of it)so you will get the same sort of reviews.
I guess the only answer is to get Which? magazine to bring out a Kit Car publication
>> Edited by jgmadkit on Saturday 26th June 12:59
The kit car industry is very very petty.
IMO don't expect Totalkitcar to be any different. It might be more readable, be more informative, better written, you never know but at the end of the day it will rely on advertising just as much as the other mags (unless Steve is minted and doing it for the love of it)so you will get the same sort of reviews.
I guess the only answer is to get Which? magazine to bring out a Kit Car publication
>> Edited by jgmadkit on Saturday 26th June 12:59
jgmadkit said:
[The kit car industry is very very petty. IMO don't expect Totalkitcar to be any different. It might be more readable, be more informative, better written, you never know but at the end of the day it will rely on advertising just as much as the other mags (unless Steve is minted and doing it for the love of it)so you will get the same sort of reviews
As a newcomer and potential buyer I welcome this news I found totalkitcar on the web by chance. Steve's knowledge is far greater it appears to others. Having spoken to him I believe He IS doing a magazine for the love of kitcars and giving something back to an industry which he regularly quotes as being invoved in for over 20 years. I for one look forward to seeing it in the shops over here in NI. Good Luck to you Steve
jgmadkit said:
Nice thought (and I agree with your comments) but it will never happen all the time the magazines rely on advertising revenue from kit car manufacturers. Even then negative reviews will just mean that magazine doesn't get any more cars to review.
The kit car industry is very very petty.
IMO don't expect Totalkitcar to be any different. It might be more readable, be more informative, better written, you never know but at the end of the day it will rely on advertising just as much as the other mags (unless Steve is minted and doing it for the love of it)so you will get the same sort of reviews.
At least Steve dose not have any Axes to Grind with other mags!!
And if you really want to find out about a KIT or KIT company JUST ASK ITS CUSTOMERS as they have nothing to gain from giving a BAD kit a good name !!
but of course no one takes notice if its my customers that say good things !!!
Thats where shows are so good as you can talk to the people that have build the kits, and delt with the companys
I think my post has come across as rather negative - I suppose it's following the kit car industry for 18 years that does it to you.
I genuinely do wish Steve the best of luck with the new magazine. He is obviously very enthusiastic about the industry and anyone that is willing to give a new business a go deserves some credit.
John
>> Edited by meeja on Saturday 14th May 14:08
I genuinely do wish Steve the best of luck with the new magazine. He is obviously very enthusiastic about the industry and anyone that is willing to give a new business a go deserves some credit.
John
>> Edited by meeja on Saturday 14th May 14:08
PPC Magazine is a mainstream title, and it has really gone to town with kits, going down a storm. PPC is all about real world performance cars, and it treats kits with the respect AND the attention they deserve. It doesn't hold back, it says it as it sees it, and its just starting a 6 month Fisher Fury build. In fact, it took some to France last month for a track day, and is going to the 'ring with some for just £99 in August.
Its done loadsa tests, its not childish towards other magazines, it treats the reader like an adult and its doing 8 pages on the 7 next month. For a refreshing perspective..
ppcmag.co.uk
Its done loadsa tests, its not childish towards other magazines, it treats the reader like an adult and its doing 8 pages on the 7 next month. For a refreshing perspective..
ppcmag.co.uk
PPC is awesome. They cover some very technical subjects, in away that the layman can understand them, as well as still being interesting to those of us with a bit of technical understanding. I just think the enthusiasm of the writers really comes across, especially in the staff cars section. And when they screw up (i.e spinning an engine for over an hour with basically zero oil pressure), they tell you about it. Top mag
Took 3months out from the usual suspect mags and when I bought the latest copies,just the same old crap and the knives are still being thrown.Guess that answers the issue of when I buy the next copies.Maybe never again.Shame.
Will try the TotalKitcar,can't say anymore,as never read it yet.
I do like PPC.A bit scrapyard tuning but we all like nosing round scrapyards don't we?
Will try the TotalKitcar,can't say anymore,as never read it yet.
I do like PPC.A bit scrapyard tuning but we all like nosing round scrapyards don't we?
The DJ 27 said:
PPC is awesome. They cover some very technical subjects, in away that the layman can understand them, as well as still being interesting to those of us with a bit of technical understanding. I just think the enthusiasm of the writers really comes across, especially in the staff cars section. And when they screw up (i.e spinning an engine for over an hour with basically zero oil pressure), they tell you about it. Top mag
Thanks. Your sentiment is much appreciated. We all have cock ups, and no ones perfect!
I hope you are enjoying the Fury build features. PPC isn't a kit car magazine (and doesn't profess to be), but I hope we hope we bring a fresh perspective to the scene. A lot of the d-i-y stuff is equally applicable though.
I self built a Lotus with my father and his friend (ok, so I just carried the biscuits!) 35 or so years ago, and we've all been there.. highly hacked off, at midnight, in a cold garage when we should be in bed.
I'm glad that the empathy comes across and that you continue to enjoy the magazine. I would be interested in all your thoughts on the 7 feature.
Are you going to the Total Kit Car Show at Brands? It sounds a good idea and should be a great day out for all enthusiasts.
justin s said:
Took 3months out from the usual suspect mags and when I bought the latest copies,just the same old crap and the knives are still being thrown.Guess that answers the issue of when I buy the next copies.Maybe never again.Shame.
Will try the TotalKitcar,can't say anymore,as never read it yet.
I do like PPC.A bit scrapyard tuning but we all like nosing round scrapyards don't we?
Well, scrapyard tuning? Mmmm, I hope we are a bit more than that!
The KC sector is lucky to be blessed with such a profusion of mags and I hope you find Total Kit Car appealing.
Yes, we certainly appeal to peoples sense of pragmatism and thriftiness, we tell it how it is and we try to translate that to the reader.
Glad you like the mag.
Regards
Al.
>> Edited by big@l on Monday 16th May 11:36
PPC is certainly the best mag on the shelf at the moment. There was a similar one called RPM - their first issue was excellent but not seen it since.
I actually managed to leave Kit Car on the shelf this month, another list of nice kit car reviews, I can alomost predict what they are going to say and I've seen all the adverts in every issue for the past three or so years. Track and Race cars is similarly boring at the moment, I thought when they started it was going to be interesting but it's turned into what looks like a bit of a jolly for the writers rather than the great mag it could be.
You've just got to buy a magazine that features a chap who looks so ordinary but is actually such a complete raving nutter that he's going to insert a 27 litre engine into a Rover. It's good that they also go into great detail, more detail the better
I actually managed to leave Kit Car on the shelf this month, another list of nice kit car reviews, I can alomost predict what they are going to say and I've seen all the adverts in every issue for the past three or so years. Track and Race cars is similarly boring at the moment, I thought when they started it was going to be interesting but it's turned into what looks like a bit of a jolly for the writers rather than the great mag it could be.
You've just got to buy a magazine that features a chap who looks so ordinary but is actually such a complete raving nutter that he's going to insert a 27 litre engine into a Rover. It's good that they also go into great detail, more detail the better
busa_rush said:
PPC is certainly the best mag on the shelf at the moment. There was a similar one called RPM - their first issue was excellent but not seen it since.
I actually managed to leave Kit Car on the shelf this month, another list of nice kit car reviews, I can alomost predict what they are going to say and I've seen all the adverts in every issue for the past three or so years. Track and Race cars is similarly boring at the moment, I thought when they started it was going to be interesting but it's turned into what looks like a bit of a jolly for the writers rather than the great mag it could be.
You've just got to buy a magazine that features a chap who looks so ordinary but is actually such a complete raving nutter that he's going to insert a 27 litre engine into a Rover. It's good that they also go into great detail, more detail the better
Hi,
RPM was Will and Kevs first attempt, a pilot issue, issued free with Practical Classics and bought out under the Emap umbrella. Emap decided not to procede with the idea.. but err, we did, so left!
We're glad that the reader response to our kit car stuff has been so enthusiastic. As long as the reader is happy, and understands that he's not getting 'just' a kit car mag and in addition to kit car features, he'll be getting lots of other stuff too, then we'll keep on doing it.
This may be a thorney issue, but the phrase 'kit cars' seems a bit vague and not too popular. Is there another suitable alternative?
The Rover is mad, isn't it? I heard it started up last year, bought crows crashing from the sky it did.
Cheers,
Al.
Gassing Station | Kit Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff