Discussion: Is Max Power an unserious magazine?

[eiriksmil]

I don't care much for tuning/styling-magazines in general, but if you're a quality man, look for the Performance-magazines. Performance VW, GTi, BMW and Ford, in addition to Japanese Performance and Japanese Cars Banzai (the latter is also published by Unity Media, same as the Performance-magazines). They are not unserious, in the coverstory of the September issue they wrote "(...) it's no wonder that the whole model-with-car photoshoot may be frowned upon these days, since a coupe of modified titles (we'll mention no names) have turned the whole exercise into something of a porn fest. No wonder there are a small few who find the whole act offensive, demeaning and, at times, even degrading."
I'll bet my hat on that one of the magazines they're hinting at is Max Power. In the August issue of Max Power, I read under point three of "If Max ruled the universe" about how an airplane cabin should be. "The cabin will be filled with huge plasmas to keep you entertained, replacing the piddly screen you have to strain to see in normal aircraft. A wide selection of bongo movies will play on repeat."
And what does the drawings show? In the toilet it's two people doing "something". while topless women walks around in the cabin. In addition, "Loads of nitrous will be on tap to give the plane's six motors a kick up the arse - how does 1000 mph sound?"
Max Power userious? Not at all. Personally I've stopped reading Max Power, and will rather find joy in magazines like Performance BMW and Performance VW, Banzai and Track and Race Cars. Also even more serious magazines, like CAR Magazine, Autocar and evo.
To me, Max Power is one of the worst car magazines out there, it's magazines like them ruining our reputation as car interested.

Agree or not? Take a stand, take a chance. Express yourself and get the good posts coming.

Is Max Power a unserious magazine, or not? Do you read it?


Eirik

 

[toyomatt84]

I don't particularly like Max Power or Banzai, because they focus too much on the show quality of a vehicle. In my perspective, a car should be agile, enjoyable to drive, and not overly consuming. People who put more time and effort into enormous bodykits, stereo systems, and other periphinalia don't interest me in the slightest, and therefore I don't comment about their cars positively. If a car has the go to back up a moderate bodykity, then I'm ok with the kit. But, if you've got a stock engine, with nothing more than bolt-on's and silicone hose covers, and yet still have an enormous body kit and a flashy color scheme... you're going to get a laugh from me. I have no respect for people who think more about their car's looks, than it's performance.

 

[Roo]

I never bought the mag, although I have flicked through a few copies a friend of mine had. I had a "it's their car, it's their money" sort of attitude. That, however stopped when reading one of the Letters pages. Someone wrote in to Max Power, and the letter went something along the lines of:

"I was racing a friend on a country road when I passed a farm gate, skidded on some mud and [excrement*] dropped by the farmer from his tractor, and crashed, writing off my car. Can I sue the farmer for causing the accident, as it's his fault for the [mess*] on the road?"

*These weren't the exact words used. The actual words were slightly more unsuitable for GTP.

And instead of calling him an idiot and telling him it's his own stupid fault and not to waste everyone's time, Max Power replied with:

"You should speak to your lawyer, and see what he says - you should be able to get some sort of compensation."

I couldn't believe that when I read it. I assist on a farm occasionally, and there's plenty of country roads around where I live, so I know what the roads are like. Mud and such should be expected on country roads - you don't get street cleaners out there.

But I digress. If obscurely modified cars are your thing, then read Max Power. It's serious about making cars silly.

 

[Slick Rick]

I don't particularly like Max Power or Banzai, because they focus too much on the show quality of a vehicle.

I read Banzai on the regular and NO WAY do i think they focus on the show quality of a vehicle. Just this month the feature car was a 600BHP Honda civic with a standard engine block, a couple of months ago their cover car was an amazing toyota corrola with a 1.4 litre naturally aspirated engine producing 240BHP!!! and i remember they were one of the first magazine to write an article on the awesome sumo skyline. Banzai focuses mainly on performance and drift cars, they do have the occasional show car every now and again but rarely do you see these as cover cars, their just a bit on the side to fill the mag and even these show cars are half decent and look good. They also dont have girls scattered across the pages, Banzai is nothing like Max Power dude.


I really hate Max Power, its like The Sun newspaper but a car magazine. People who buy it i think are ricers, extremely thick and yobs...mostly
Definitely an unserious mag, its very badly written and the cars are pants.

 

[eiriksmil]

I read Banzai on the regular and NO WAY do i think they focus on the show quality of a vehicle. Just this month the feature car was a 600BHP Honda civic with a standard engine block, a couple of months ago their cover car was an amazing toyota corrola with a 1.4 litre naturally aspirated engine producing 240BHP!!! and i remember they were one of the first magazine to write an article on the awesome sumo skyline. Banzai focuses mainly on performance and drift cars, they do have the occasional show car every now and again but rarely do you see these as cover cars, their just a bit on the side to fill the mag and even these show cars are half decent and look good. They also dont have girls scattered across the pages, Banzai is nothing like Max Power dude.


I really hate Max Power, its like The Sun newspaper but a car magazine. People who buy it i think are ricers, extremely thick and yobs...mostly
Definitely an unserious mag, its very badly written and the cars are pants.

I agree. I've got the three last issues of Banzai. Cover in July was a Toyota MR2 with 750 bhp and only a front lip and discreet side skirt, cover in August were two Impreza MY06s with paint scheme from the Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, and cover in September was a Honda Integra (not a Civic, but close) with a B18C1 block, modded to perfection, developing ~600 bhp. Cosmetic? Nah, not really.
Banzai is great, on the same line as Performance VW and -BMW. They inspire the uninspired.
Whereas Max Power only is crap.


Eirik

 

[toyomatt84]

I must have read the wrong couple of issues of Banzai, then. On the cover of one, there was some hideous Lancer that (to me) no amount of hp could "undo". But, like I said, I might have just caught a bad batch from them. It's not like the magazine is available everywhere, where I live, so I actually would have to go out of my way to see it again. I pretty much focus on 1 to 2 magazines, monthly. Honda Tuning (I own a Civic ), and Grassroots Motorsports, because I love their articles on car tuning and such.