Kyle, I didn't mean that ALL magazines do that, but some do. Most of the well known car mags don't do it, but there are those that do. I'd rather not disclose the names I've been contacted by. But I've also been told by several magazines that they would not do articles or features unless I spent advertising dollars with them. I am sure that it also depends on the individual person you speak with also.

If you have a car like a tuner Viper or Vette, something that magazines know will sell a zillion copies, I'm sure those kinds of cars are eagerly invited. But when you have something that magazines don't see a big or popular market for, they are not as eager to get you in the magazine.

 

Car and Driver???? You must mean "Four-Door-Sedan Review."

I got a Freakin' FREE subscription and I canceled it.

I remember their road test of the 2001 Lightning (I think that was the one), where one of the testers admitted he "didn't get it" (the Lightning concept, that is).

Seems like 5000 or so people a year "get it" OK!

 

struckbylightning, I just posted this subject a few days ago. Thought I might bring it up since you probably didn't see it

Later

 

Anyone who "doesnt get" the lightning should be kicked in the *****.

 

I read the article last night. The one thing that I noticed was that cars that were making "500/700hp" were running high 12's and low 13's. I guess you could blame it on the tires, but how about when they said that the fastest car around the track was the porsche @ 56.1 and the second fastest was the lingenfelter vette @ 57. Then they went on to say that some dudes stock Z06 ran a few laps in the high 56's. I personally wouldn't want to pay that much for a car and have a stock Z06 outrun me around the track. Imo, those cars weren't too impressive. On a different note, did anyone see the next article pitting the mustang gt against a mone carlo ss and some dodge junk. The scary thing is, the dodge won.

 

What mag wanted you to pay for coverage Sal?

The TV offer for 2 minutes of national interveiw time was $13,000!!!

TV not a zine.

Dan

 

"Pay For Play" for so-called media "coverage" is not a new concept. F150online and Ownersite.com have both been approached by several companies that wanted to "feature" us on their programs or in their publications. The cost was right about where Sal mentioned for TV coverage.

For reference (if you have doubts), just check out http://www.brenton.org to see the methodology for getting casually "mentioned" by Sam Memmolo and to get a better understanding of the expert knowledge that TV shows are imparting upon you.

Maybe this has been discussed here before, but since I actually had the same question when I got my copy of C&D, but didn't a Gen II L have a good showing in the One Lap of America this year? (First in SUV - - and 23rd overall according to the official website) That competition is not simply straight line performance.

This is by no means meant to belittle Sal, JL, JDM or any other Lightning tuner, so please do not take it that way, but I wonder if the names that you read all the time in these national magazines, Kenny Brown, Steeda, Saleen, etc had a Lightning to show off then they would appear in the "challenges."

Just curious.

 

$137,027.00 for a Gmc Sonoma with a 427ci small block from the Corvette C5R with Twin Garrett turbo-chargers, twin air-to-air intercoolers, and the all-wheel-drive system from the GMC Sierra Denali grafted to it. How could any car guy (or truck guy) scoff at such a vehicle? It boggles the senses. Yeah, the price is steep; but, I think it's pretty much on line for a turn key tuner vehicle of this caliber. What I can't figure out is....What were they thinking trying to handle 650 lbs/ft of torque with even a modified 4L60-E tranny. Those things frequently give out around 450 lbs/ft........ Built!

There's not a lightning on this board that belongs in this article. Nobody has one that has the kind of all around performance these vehicles do on 92 octane pump gas, street tires, and without giggle juice. Hell........ Even with the juice!

If someone like John Lingenfelter had a lightning project, it would have a much better chance to be invited to this type of event. It's all in the name he's built for himself. Apparently several Italian supercars were invited and declined to show. I guess $500,000.00+ is too much to spend on a vehicle, and then take the chance of being creamed by a little American Iron.