Import Tuner Magazine

About a year and a half ago I was at the grocery store and noticed a new magazine gracing the shelves. It was called Import Tuner. I enjoy almost any magazine dedicated to cars, especially imports. So I bought my first issue, hoping it would not be my last. I have many thoughts about the publication so here they are.

I figured to start things off on a positive note I?d talk about the things I enjoy about Import Tuner. The Goin? Postal section is dedicated to the readers that send in comments and questions via mail or email. Now if you have read any of my epinions on magazines before I am very picky in this section. Import Tuner does a good job in this department though. The section usually covers no more than two pages (some magazines fill space with five pages of letters) and the questions are usually well thought out. This is important because when reading this section I do not like to read questions like ?what?s your favorite car?? or ?what?s the fastest car you?ve ever seen?? I like to read questions that concern engines, locating hard to find aftermarket parts, etc? Import Tuner also answers all their questions. This may seem stupid to some but I enjoy hearing what the writers of the magazine think. Another department of the magazine I enjoy is a section called Fouroneone. It is pretty much the news section of the magazine. It is well done with informative reporting. My only complaint is its only one page. I would like at least another page because I enjoy reading about the scene.

The photography in this magazine is the best in the business. Compared to the other magazines out there covering the same topics, Import Tuner stands out with well-done pictures of the cars I want to see. When they are running a feature story on a particular car you can count tons of pictures showing every inch of the automobile. I read to many magazines that run a feature story and show three total pictures. This is where Import Tuner steps up. The feature articles that accompany the picture are also written well. They cover all the information that a reader wants to know such as modifications, aftermarket parts, and why these decisions were made. At the end of each feature article the writers list where you can find all the information to locate the parts that were on the car.

Power Pages is probably my favorite section of the magazine. Every issue two cars are selected and a dyno test for horsepower is done on both without any aftermarket parts installed, completely stock. Then three or four aftermarket parts are chosen and a dyno is run after each part is installed. Readers are then able to see the increase or decrease of horsepower and torque for each vehicle. Import Tuner also lets you know the price of these parts. The reason I enjoy this section so much is because, reading the adds from companies that produce aftermarket parts you would believe every part you install will make a dramatic difference in performance of your vehicle. I understand the companies need to sell parts, but they are not always truthful. This section gives you an honest account of what these parts will do with certain cars. No other magazine that I know reports anything similar to this. Another section similar to Power Pages is Just Tested. In Just Tested, a product is demonstrated and the results are listed. An example is an octane booster or different style of oil.

Now after all that you have to be thinking, ?Is there anything about this magazine he doesn?t like?? The answer is yes. To start with, $4.99 an issue is quite steep. There are some magazines worth five dollars an issue, this is not one of them. The subscription price is better at $26.97 for 12 issues. This is a price I can deal with, but then you must judge if this is a magazine that warrants a subscription. Also, like many other magazine, there are too many ads. It is well documented that I enjoy ads. I shop and compare prices from them. But come on, the amount in Import Tuner is ridiculous. There are ads on 90% of the pages. This is a normal practice in the import car magazines on the shelves today. That point also relates directly to prices of the issue. With ads on 90% of the pages you can?t tell me Import Tuner can?t afford to drop issue prices to $4.00? Everyone knows those ads are definitely not free. I feel there should be some sort of kickback to the readers. The Lay?nRubber section bothers me somewhat. It comes at the beginning of the magazine and just introduces everything such as where the staff has been, if they had been covering events etc? But every time I read this section the editor tries to convince me that Import Tuner is my favorite magazine or how I should feel sorry for the staff when they had to drive to Canada to cover an event. I?m sorry but I don?t feel sorry for these people nor is this my favorite magazine, so quit trying to convince me of the two! I realize the editor is just trying to break the ice by being funny, but it does bother me so I thought I?d mention it.

Now on to the women, if you have ever glanced at a copy of Import Tuner chances are you know what I am talking about. They are the only import car magazine that I know in which women are spread out all over the cars. I realize that many men are probably thinking I?m crazy. But my point is, I read the magazine for the cars not the girls. If I want to look at women then I will buy a Playboy. All the women do is bother me. They are beautiful don?t get me wrong, but not needed. I?m not sure if Import Tuner is doing this to be different or if they are trying to gain more subscriptions from ages 11-14. Something else that goes along with that same topic is the interviews with the women. I don?t like the women there to begin with much less wasting another couple of pages learning about them. I understand that Import Tuner feels obligated to interview the women so they do not look like pieces of meat, but I can solve the whole problem. Take them out of the magazine all together! Add more articles and pictures of cars! That?s why I buy the magazine!

The MaxBoost section is ridiculous. It is a 4-5 page cartoon, that pokes fun at the import car scene. It is about a kid named Max and his exploits to stay away from American cars. I find the cartoon itself rather insulting. It portrays import car enthusiasts as close-minded idiots. Not willing to even look at American cars. Maybe some of the people in the scene act this way but not most of the ones I come across. I just feel it stereotypes people that are interested in imports. Also, I have no need for a cartoon in the middle of my magazine. This is just another thing that could be removed and more car profiles and articles could be added.

Overall, I think Import Tuner is falling into the traps of other magazines in this genre. Import Tuner does many things well, great pictures, articles, and car part testing. But it is slowing being consumed by the bad, too many ads, sex appeal, and cartoons. This is a good magazine to subscribe to for about $2.00 an issue. But I wouldn?t but 12 issues of the magazine off the shelves at $5.00 issue. If you are looking for more information on the import car scene maybe Import Tuner is for you.