MOTOR October 2013 edition - WTF?

Syndrome · 18-09-2013, 09:27 PM

Who was the 'bright' spark who decide to change the aspect ratio of the magazine? Not happy.

Herrod Motorsport · 18-09-2013, 10:10 PM

I don't like it

STREETFIGHTER · 18-09-2013, 11:05 PM

Yeah, after the initial shock put it straight back on the shelf, much prefer the original format

TC200six · 19-09-2013, 12:04 AM

Any scans of the magazine's new shape?

csv8 · 19-09-2013, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TC200six

Any scans of the magazine's new shape?

MOTOR magazine

zoomie · 19-09-2013, 12:19 AM

Oh look its got a 2 door commodore on the cover! They probably changed the aspect ratio of the magazaine to make the "Munaro" stand out more LOL

jimt3te50 · 19-09-2013, 12:53 AM

No doubt the avid collectors of the magazine will be stoked, sure it fits in with the collection nicely, not...

1TUFFUTE · 19-09-2013, 01:25 AM

I don't get it...has it changed sizes?....the magazine i mean.....the big Holden on the front is same as always tho.....

jpd80 · 19-09-2013, 01:38 AM

Do people still buy paper magazines......

Struggo · 19-09-2013, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpd80

Do people still buy paper magazines......

^^^ This.

With the ever shrinking print market (Newspapers. magazines) you will see a shift towards streamlined formats. For example, SMH broadsheet to tabloid.

That said I don't like it.

**Luke Plaizier** · 19-09-2013, 08:08 AM

Motor isn't available electronically as far as I can see. Certainly not on anything accessible with an Android. Amazon, Google Play Magazines, Magzter or Zinio. I've mentioned this on their Facebook page a few times now, and people actually respond back to me "Print media is better anyway, eMagazines have proven to be a failure...". Wow! Auto Action, V8X and Wheels have all moved across some time ago, as have my subscriptions (well, AA and V8X have). If it's on Magshop, then that's locked down to Samsung Galaxy Tablets only and is next to useless....

Which is pretty much what I feel about Australian motoring media and their "it's not up to us to support the local motor industry" attitude. Foreign magazines are much easier to buy electronically, and very soon, for every car that can be bought in Australia, they will be released and reviewed earlier in overseas media than local media.

So what, exactly, does the Australian Motoring Media bring to the market that can't be read easier, sooner and with just as much relevance as anything else from overseas? The background pics and the odd wooden attempt at ocker language?

Too late will they realise how important local manufacture really was to them....

Lukeyson

csv8 · 19-09-2013, 08:26 AM

I prefer the tactile feel of reading a magazine or paper..Like the feel of a woman ..cann't get from Penthouse

Mighty Reds · 19-09-2013, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpd80

Do people still buy paper magazines......

Agree.

Good to see nothing has changed and they put some type of commodore on every cover.

grandpa_spec_F6 · 19-09-2013, 11:00 AM

They had to change the aspect ratio to full all the ugly on the front page

aussie muscle · 19-09-2013, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpd80

Do people still buy paper magazines......

I do. there's something more permanent about a magazine. plus you can take them on the plane when electronic devices are asked to be turned off.

FNQracing · 19-09-2013, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

So what, exactly, does the Australian Motoring Media bring to the market that can't be read easier, sooner and with just as much relevance as anything else from overseas? The background pics and the odd wooden attempt at ocker language?

Too late will they realise how important local manufacture really was to them....

Exactly and couldn't agree more. Commodore and Falcon on the front cover will soon be a thing of the past. I can't think of too much that any Aussie motoring journo brings to the table that the overseas ones don't.

I stopped buying Aussie magazines a long time ago as they are (and were) largely irrelevant and provide little more than a bit of light entertainment with a "local" spin - whatever that means now. Motor and Wheels are now simply quite quite lame.

Its 2013 but their respective online presence suggests its still 1993.

They'll soon realise that it was the local car industry that was supporting them all along. The proverbial rug is about to be pulled.

Adios.

mcnews · 19-09-2013, 11:32 AM

I believe the two magazines, Wheels and Motor, are on course to become one. New German owners are huge players globally so I also expect by early next year there to be a huge web presence from Wheels/Motor. The new owners have cleaned out the upper level management, are moving all the magazines back from Sydney to Melbourne and taking things in new directions.

Syndrome · 19-09-2013, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimt3te50

No doubt the avid collectors of the magazine will be stoked, sure it fits in with the collection nicely, not...

Exactly! My (Modern) MOTOR magazine collection goes back to 1969 and this new size does not fit with the remainder of my magazines.

XP6 · 19-09-2013, 12:02 PM

cant stand either mag... I'll stick to SM and Cruizin!

Syndrome · 19-09-2013, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnews

I believe the two magazines, Wheels and Motor, are on course to become one. New German owners are huge players globally so I also expect by early next year there to be a huge web presence from Wheels/Motor. The new owners have cleaned out the upper level management, are moving all the magazines back from Sydney to Melbourne and taking things in new directions.

I agree. The local car magazines went pear shaped in the mid 1990s when Australian Consolidated Press purchased other publishing houses and all three magazines came under one owner (Wheels, Modern Motor and Car Australia).

Prior to the mid 1990s I preferred Modern Motor as it provided a more balanced coverage. Wheels were too smug and full of themselves. Car Australia wasn't too bad. Now the two remaining titles are much of a muchness with little substance. They have been relegated to the quality of magazines one finds in dental waiting rooms where people flick through them aimlessly while waiting for their root canal.

It will be interesting to see what the Bauer Media Group does with these titles.

I wish Auto Motor und Sport was issued in English as from what I can see this is a proper car magazine with detailed tests and proper analysis.

**PridenJoy** · 19-09-2013, 01:11 PM

A long time ago Motor Mag had a bigger aspect ratio to the standard mag size, maybe they went back to that size.

Anyway, I stopped buying/reading those mags a long time ago because i found it was Holden Central, I see nothing has changed.

Dauphin · 20-09-2013, 01:23 PM

I saw the smaller magazine at the supermarket a few days ago. Interesting how this magazine went smaller while some other magazines have gone larger Since it's smaller, do you think it's any thicker, eg. more pages on average?

Rodge · 20-09-2013, 02:28 PM

Autocar N.Z. went to the smaller more efficient format quite a few months ago now and I don't like it either but because they continue to publish good accurate unbiased reviews when I see them test something I like I usually still buy a copy as there is something about a print copy that can't be replicated in on-line editions, (loved the comment about the feel of a woman vs the feel of Penthouse)

Syndrome · 15-07-2014, 01:44 PM

I see with the August 2014 edition MOTOR Magazine has gone back to the previous size. Thank goodness. They were hard to find on the shelf as their smaller size meant the magazine was often hidden behind larger format magazines.