How do I order a magazine back
issue?
BACK ISSUES FROM AUGUST 2001 TO PRESENT
Contact Primedia Customer Service, 866/601-5199
BACK ISSUES FROM 1993 to JULY
2001
Please send your request by mail to our editorial offices at: Motor
Trend/Truck Trend, Attn: Back Issues, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., 7th Floor, Los
Angeles, CA 90048-5515. PLEASE CALL FIRST to ensure that we have the issue
available (323/782-2220). Our editorial office retains most Motor Trend
back issues published as of January 1993 and later and most Truck Trend
back issues published as of February 1998 and later. Back issues cost $8.00
each, and can be purchased only by check or money order. When making your
request, please indicate the month and year of the back issue you would like to
receive and make sure to include your return address.
BACK ISSUES PRIOR
TO 1993
If the Motor Trend (only Motor Trend) issue you desire was
published prior to 1993, please send an e-mail to Del Fisher (delfi@attbi.com)
who maintains a sizeable collection of Motor Trend magazines dating back
to the earlier days of our publication. He can provide a catalog of all his
offerings for $3.00. If you prefer, you can send Del a request via snail mail
at:
Back-Issue Car Magazines
P.O. Box 170243
Arlington, TX 76003
How do I contact the editorial
staff?
The editors can be reached by sending a message from the E-mail Us
page (link at the bottom left of each page). We regret that we can not
personally reply to every letter nor research for your specific request, but we
do read each letter to consider for possible publication in a future issue.
How do I advertise online?
Contact;
Eric Schwab, Eastern Advertising Manager, Primedia,
Inc. at: 313/967-5113 or eric.schwab@primedia.com
Jason Rice, Western
Advertising Manager, Primedia, Inc. at: 323/782-2188 or jason.rice@primedia.com
Can I use text and images on my Web site?
We can not grant permission for individuals to reproduce text,
graphics, or images from Motor Trend magazine, books, or Web site, as we
need to protect our rights and investment in this material.
However, MT Online has a Wallpaper section intended to allow people to
download those specific images for non-commercial purposes. (A link to
Amazon.com or advertising makes the site commercial.)
We do welcome links to MT Online and TT Online, and we suggest that you link
to the stories that caught your interest.
Can you link to my site?
Our Hot
Links section is currently limited to advertisers and business partners.
What car is best for me?
That is a
question only you can answer. The definition of "best" is too personal for us to
advise, influenced by driving style, aesthetic tastes, previous experiences,
current and future needs, budget, and so on. Motor Trend offers
information and opinions on vehicles to aid readers in making purchase
decisions. Develop a list of eligible vehicles, read the related articles, and
go to the dealership and take some test drives.
How can I get a job at Motor Trend?
We generally recommend a degree in journalism or English to
aspiring automotive journalists, supported by a minor in engineering and/or
photography. In addition to writing skills, professional photographic skills are
essential in the magazine business. Most pros start by contributing to smaller,
aftermarket and road-test oriented magazines to develop skills and contacts.
As with any job, the keys are experience and timing. The members of the
Motor Trend editorial staff have contributed to a variety of magazines,
working their way up to leading positions and establishing a strong reputation
within the automotive industry. Most editors have raced competitively to hone
their professional driving skills.
If you are interested in pursuing possible employment at Primedia, Inc. call
the human resources job line at 323/782-2002. Or visit our corporate Web site at
www.primedia.com for job
listings.
Beyond publishing, naturally the manufacturers employ a vast number of
workers, including test drivers. Each has its own human resource department that
could best explain qualifications and positions available.
Online resources: www.autocareernet.com, www. truckingcareernet.com, and www.motorcareers.com
Book: "Careers for Car Buffs" by Richard and Mary Lee (847/679-5500).
Where can I find performance numbers on my car?
For performance numbers and basic specifications of vehicles,
check Road Test Review in Motor Trend magazine each month. Also, MT
publishes an annual newsstand-only outsert compiling data from the past five
years.
Full road tests offer more details (where the vehicle was made, dimensions,
and more) and can be purchased as a back issue for $8.00. Road Test Review
provides the month and year each article was published to assist your research.
To purchase a back issue from our main offices, call 323/782-2220. Note: back
issues are in limited supply.
Also, most local and college libraries carry a full Motor Trend
magazine archive.
Can you e-mail me an article?
No.
If an article is not available online, it can only be obtained by ordering the
back issue that it was published in. Please call 323-782-2220 to order back
issues of Motor Trend or Truck Trend.
Why didn't you test my specific make, model, trim,
and engine?
While Motor Trend tests more vehicles than any
other publication in the world, we do not test all variants of every model each
year. Because most readers are automotive enthusiasts, we focus more on testing
mid- and upper-level models. We do not automatically test vehicles every model
year if there was not a significant change. Often last year's performance
numbers and road test evaluation apply to this year's model.
What is the top speed on my car?
We
rarely test top speed and then only on the fastest cars in major comparison
articles.
When will you publish an article
on...?
We report on news and vehicles as soon as availability and
our production process permits. We do not intentionally hold back on
information, rather we attempt to create a balanced package of timely
informative and entertaining material each month. Keep watching, no vehicle for
sale in America escapes our attention.
Tell me more about next year's
model...
We incorporate the information we unearth in our stories,
Trends pieces, and online Future
Vehicle Forecast (FVF). If a FVF item is brief, it is simply because we do
not have more information. Watch this unique online feature for continued
updates.
Can you diagnose my car?
Not if
we're to publish a magazine each month. We have partnered with Meta-Cog on an excellent piece of
consumer software called AutoTech that can help.
Start by asking your dealer and/or trusted mechanic. If you have doubts, find
fellow owners through clubs or enthusiast Web sites who may be able to advise.
There is some great information available online from owners who have
experienced the same problems and found solutions.
Have you heard about any problems with my vehicle?
We would suggest visiting www.alldata.com for a listing of recalls and technical service
bulletins. A Usenet search may turn up related newsgroup postings from other
owners.
Can you help with my poor owner experience?
Again, not if we're to publish a magazine each month. If you are
not satisfied with your dealer's efforts to correct your problems, contact the
regional supervisor and/or manufacturer's customer service department. Both
numbers should be in your owner's packet.
If you feel you have a "lemon," there should be information with your owner's
manual on how to submit a "lemon law" claim.
Can you recommend a performance recipe for my car?
Every month we present modified cars and trucks, reporting on
what works and what does not. However, we cannot cook up a specific recipe for
your vehicle, based on your needs, driving style, DIY talents, geography, and
budget.
The single best single improvement you can make is to enhance your driving
ability. (Attend a professional racing school or enroll in an autocross school
hosted by your local chapter of the Sports Car Club of America, 303/694-7222.)
The next best refinement to make your vehicle quicker is a set of ultra-high
performance tires. These are two relatively inexpensive ways to significantly
improve performance without sacrifices.
The results we've seen with low-cost modifications are modest at best: There
is no magic solution. You can't throw $300 at a suspension, for example, and
"fix" a setup that the manufacturer spent millions to develop. You may alter the
performance to your tastes, but compromises are inevitable with any changes.
Keep an eye on the Performance Trends and Truck & SUV Trends columns in
Motor Trend magazine for ideas on modifications. Advertisements in the
back of Motor Trend are among the best sources for aftermarket parts. You
can also explore the Internet following the links in our Hot Links section.
What is horsepower?
Horsepower is a
measure of an engine's work-producing ability, combining both an engine's
twisting force and its ability to rev.
What is torque?
Torque is a measure
of twisting force: No motion is required. Without motion, all the torque in the
world does no useful work; without torque, there's no horsepower. The
measurement "horsepower" was invented to gauge the newly developed steam engine.
After watching a horse plodding around a circle turning a water pump (a job the
newfangled contraption would soon have), James Watt devised a complex formula of
which we offer this radically simplified version: horsepower equals engine rpm
multiplied by torque (at that rpm), then divided by 5252 (hp = rpm x
torque/5252).
What is the difference between understeer and
oversteer?
Front-driver vehicles typically exhibit understeer,
meaning that through a turn, the front tires lose traction first causing a
plowing effect. The vehicle pushes to the outside of the turn until speed is
lowered and traction regained. Rear-drivers tend to lose traction out back,
causing the rear to slide to the outside of a turn.
While these terms describe how a vehicle handles when pushed to its handling
limits, they are not mutually exclusive. For example, a front-drive vehicle can
be induced into oversteer with an abrupt mid-turn, drop-throttle maneuver.
Can you explain what "something" means?
For definitions of basic automotive terms, we recommend "Auto
Mechanics Fundamentals" by Martin Stockel and "Auto Dictionary" by John Edwards.
Where can I get more information on a vintage car?
Beyond reading road tests, there are hundreds of car books
available rich with information. Visit www.motorbooks.com to order a free catalog from Motorbooks
International / Classic Motorbooks.
I'm due in court, can you tell me something to get
me out of a ticket?
Sorry, we can't answer your specific legal
questions. We suggest you seek help from the National Motorists Association ) or ( Speedingticket.net)
© 1998 - 2008
