I think this first edition is really to see what readers want.. I personally thought it was a huge setback with the article on the Green EP3.. those people put the honda tuning scene back,it doesnt make me take the magazine very seriously. I know each to their own with tuning and taste but as Barry has said, they really should just stick that in Max Power.. plenty of room for features there for that fiberglass stuff.
Also that EG6..well I wouldnt say that it had taste, it is a show car so it needs to be loud to attract the attention but all that talk about "JDM" got abit over played.. when I finally got to the specs page it was just a huge list of advertised parts from comapnies that for the most part were not JDM (as the article had emphasised on) and werent industry leaders of anything in their field! (exceptions:Excedy, AEm etc)
On the talk of JDM , the rant by "Rodan" ..really? very weak stuff there. Im not suggesting he tries harder (because it shows) but the scene of Imports VS domestics is strictly a U.S phenomenon that doesnt have any application over here.
Does anyone actually care whether they have UKDM vs JDM?? I think you have to have a pretty skewed view of what JDM is.. heck the scene in the US is actually reverting back to bearing USDM badges etc. so you'd have to be a real sucker to be a dick about the difference.
What is JDM?
Its not about having a DC2 with a different front end as cool as the difference is. The asthetics arent what launched the whole genre into a whole craze. Intrestingly enough it has nothing to do with cars at the core.
It's the Japanese culture, the mentatility to produce the best. The excellence in engineering. Brands such as Rays or Yokohama are some of the most sought after parts, people forget why, based on the freakingly awesome asthetics. End of the day , they are the very best parts that are on offer with credibiltiy that extends all the way to F1.
The whole "clean car" look is only around because for the most part Japanese tuners were able to accept that the car that the manufacturer gave them didnt need to be changed for the most part..improvements were made carefully and with the best product available in their markets.
Now it's important to acknowldege there are plenty of very good companies that excel in their fields for producing parts, that are not from Japan. SPC/Hasport/Brian Crower etc..Tuners that acknowledge this and build their cars with a combination and taste for the best parts for the ultimate goal of having and being the best is what JDM is all about.
It just so happend that the Japanese mentalitiy of perfection breeds alot more companies, hence a large basis for "JDM" parts.This article excludes the obvious tuners who arent so performance orientated and are more focused on the asthetic side of the "jdm craze" e.g. Kenstyle/JP Vizage/BYS.
JDM isnt just the product, it isnt just the asthetics. Its the scene of this generation that emphasises excellence in tuning.
Anyway thats my rant over for now..could go on all days =S. **just an opionion** i guess lol.
Other than that pretty good mag. Hope they get rid of that max power tuning mentality, it kills magazines.
