Holy crap, it’s Friday, which means the Autopian has officially survived its first full week! I’m not going to lie: I’m exhausted, and I know David is too, and I’m pretty sure both of our diets have been the sort that would make a nutritionist slap us, hard, and with genuine rage. That said, we’re grateful you’re here reading this site, and we’re thrilled to work with incredibly talented contributors. David and I still can’t believe all of this is real.
Speaking of contributors, let’s shout them out by name, why not, because they deserve it. We got our fellow car-obsessive Thomas Hundal, cranking out the content; there’s Mark Tucker, giving us our daily serving of shitboxes, hot and fresh every morning; we have our incredible design twins, The Secret One and Adrian Clarke; our engineering-mistake confessor Huibert Mees; Rex Bennett, our man inside the Lane; the Navy’s finest pants-shitter, Bobby Mackay; small-town gearhead anthropologist David Wilson; the GOAT himself, Murilee Martin; our China-car savant, Tycho de Feijter; and our fantastic extra topshot artist, Syd.
How did we manage to pull together such a fantastic team?
We know we have a long way to go to make everything the way we — and you — want it to be. There are still changes we want to make to the design, the commenting system, the pace of our writing — pretty much everything. We probably should get our asses in gear and sell a few ads, too. (Until then, who wants to buy T-shirts in bulk?)
Most importantly, we want to know what you, our fantastic readers, think! We started this site because we want to produce stories and videos and whatever you want to read, watch, listen, and enjoy! If there’s something you don’t like, or want more of, or less of, or whatever, let us know, right here in the comments, and we’ll do our best to make things better. We’re constantly striving to improve, and we’re very open to new ideas.
Thank you all for reading. I really mean that, and I know David and Beau mean it, too. We’ve been busy, but we’ve been having a great time; it’s all been a reminder of why we wanted to do this in the first place: because we love cars, and we love the way cars bring people together.
Except maybe for a couple of jerks on Reddit. But you know, that’s the internet.
(image: Skoda Classic)
Honestly the only suggestions I have involve the comments: Ability to add pictures, maybe a few organization options.
The commenting community is already attracting great people, but there have been a few times where I’ve either read a post or made a post where I thought “well this would be better with a visual.”
Been great so far!
Would love to see some racing content scattered in as long as it doesn’t affect the quality of the other content.
A series about obscure racing series around the world would be pretty cool.
Yas. Give Alanis King a call and see if she wants to write stuff about the weirder side of racing!
I love the content so far- just the perfect level of geeky facts and obscure trivia! As a suggestion as you go about figuring out how to keep the site afloat, my other favorite site on the internet, Ars Technica, has a monetization scheme that I actually don’t hate. The entire site is free with a reasonable volume of ads, but for $25/yr I’ve subscribed so I don’t get ads and I can support the authors there more directly. Keep putting out content like you all have this week, and I’d gladly do the same here!
Yes! The subscription model is the future, as far as I’m concerned. Ads are sooo annoying and so unimaginative and so early-20th century. Maybe even a bundled co-subscription with other automotive magazines. Oh and merch too. Not just t-shirts, or even just clothing. I’m thinking co-branded tools as well. Wouldn’t it be awesome to team up with Tekton or someone and have a line of Autopian branded mechanics’ tools?
Exactly this. Another “Ars Pro” subscriber here. TAKE MY MONEY!
I would absolutely subscribe to this site just to keep it alive and keep the ads to a tasteful, manageable level. I’m never going to see them anyway (I run an adblocker, sorrynotsorry) but I’d be happy to throw the site a few bones every month regardless if it means this place can be healthy and navigable for everyone, not to mention financially sustainable.
I think it is an exceptionally good start.
Minor thoughts:.
(1) No place for technical help i.e. a contact us button
(2) Would be good to be able to post pictures in the reply section.
We’re working on pictures! Our geeks say it’s a harder thing than you’d expect for security reasons and whatever. But we’re on it!
Just showed up. Gonna sit back and soak it in. One thing I do know ………
NO SLIDESHOWS.
Hate ’em. I have a scrolling wheel. It works well.
You can shrink your browser to display those slideshows.
Those slideshows just reeked of desperation, and inability to generate content.
“Let’s let the user’s generate the content, and then we’ll just post it back to them”
This site is pretty much what I wish J******k was (and arguably what it used to be, at least somewhat) — it’s been great so far. I’d be lying if I said I’ve read all the articles so far, but the ones I’ve read have largely been excellent. Making comments editable would be pretty neat, but I’m just glad we’re safe from kinja here…
Love the content! I’m not sure if this has been mentioned, or perhaps it’s my account. However, I noticed if I am not logged in, and click on an article that I want to comment on, and then login, it keeps prompting me to login on that post; however, all other posts work just fine. It seems I have to login on the main domain, and then I can comment on the individual post.
Yes. have had a similar problem
A-ha! Not just me then. I was eventually able to return to it and see a “reply” option but by then the moment had passed.
Yes this happens, here’s why: there’s no automatic forwarding back to the post after login has been completed, so in order to find the article/comment where you wanted to reply, you have to click the ‘Back’ button in your browser, which doesn’t reload the page, but shows the cached version, which was saved before you were logged in. You have to force reload the page after having logged in and gone back to the article.
Great tip! Thanks Kurterino!
Same thing happening to me.
I’d love to be able to click images to see a larger version of them. I wanted to get a detailed look at the door handle classifications, and had to right click, open image in new tab to do it.
We desperately need an update on DT and the exploding Nice Lady Jeep! I’ve been siting on the edge of my goddamn seat for days!
Otherwise, pics in comments and perhaps a bit more clarity in the Shitbox Showdowns regarding whether the shitboxes are running or yard art.
The Nice Lady just texted me: “So, do you have an update on the Jeep?”
Me: [sweating…realizing she expects me to have fixed it by now] “Uhh. I’ll have an update after the weekend.” [pulls collar, steamy ethylene-glycol shoots into the air].
(We’ll be more descriptive on shitbox condition moving forward on The Showdown).
Message received. I didn’t want to be too repetitive of what was already in the ad, but you’re right; I was a little vague on some of them.
ya i didnt read a single ones actual ad
I can’t help but notice that your staff seems to be 100% male. They’re turning out awesome content, don’t get me wrong, but as you continue to hire it might be nice to see some more diverse perspectives.
Obviously I can’t know much about people’s identities beyond what their names suggest, and nobody is obligated to make their personal identity a big thing in their writing, but if perchance you look around The Autopian’s office deep in the hidden sub-sub-basement of the Space Needle and discover that you’ve got a staff of all white hetero cis dudes, you might take a moment to ask how that happened and whether you’re really representing all the weird and wonderful facets of the automotive enthusiast community.
I can think of some writers *cough* Mercedes Streeter *cough* Alanis King *cough* Kirsten Lee *cough* Victoria Scott *cough* Kevin Williams *cough* *hack* *wheeze* sorry about that—I can think of some writers who would really shine here. Yeah, yeah, most of them are already gainfully employed, but if little ol’ me can come up with a fistful of names just off the top of my head, surely there must be lots more out there. Right?
Agreed, diversity is good. I imagine Mercedes is just biding her time till her contract is up and she’s over here.
I would love to see Mercedes over her. As far as I’m concerned, she’s like a female David Tracy but with a different perspective and inclinations.
Syd is a woman, by the way, and we only really have a full-time staff of two: David and myself, and I’m a half-Cuban Ashkenazi Jew. We’re absolutely actively talking to women writers and other roles as we staff up; I suspect some of these you’ll see soon. We want perspectives from all kinds of car-loving, bright, interesting people. So, yes, we agree. Our priority is getting interesting, engaging, fun car content to you, no matter where it comes from.
My apologies for misgendering Syd. (I tried to hedge a bit in my comment by way of acknowledging that one can’t always tell who is a half-Cuban Ashkenazi Jew just from a byline, but a mistake is a mistake.) I’m glad you’re looking to further diversify as you staff up.
Just to stick my nose in that much further, I’ll say that it’s often not enough just to be be open to good hires and good content “no matter where it comes from.” You may find that unless you *actively* seek out and encourage people from other backgrounds to join up, many of those people will self-select out of your applicant pool on the assumption that it’s just another cis white sausage festival.
Above all though, I know you and David are Good Eggs and that you want an inclusive automotive community and an inclusive community at The Autopian. This place is in good hands, and I’ll get off my soapbox now.
Here is an evil thought…
We readers follow writers every bit as much as we follow sites. A site that brings many of our favorite writers together and frees them to do their best work is heaven for all involved, and The Autopian is looking like it will be that site.
What if the Autopian had a corner with a way of keeping track of the latest from the writers listed above (and other greats), whether they are Driving, Picnicking, or somewhere else?
I know it sounds crazy, because it encourages Autopian readership to jump to other sites, but it also: supports those writers, shows the glaring difference in site quality, and makes The Autopian the go-to starting point for all such great journalism. It would also provide The Autopian with a lot of great data about what outside data their readers value.
So far, so good. Loved the story of the Nice Lady and the Jeep. Site looks good right out of the box. May I suggest that you stay away from politics? Just because someone you love/hate was once seen within 200 yards of a motor vehicle doesn’t mean we have to read about them. Cheers and good luck!
The Autopian team has set the bar really, really high! It’s a big ask, but keep it up. If anyone can, it’s you folks.
Maybe once the dust settles and you find your balance, we’ll be treated to some road trip type stuff (i.e. David’s old hijinx) of any type, as long as it’s sustainable for your sanity and safety. I’ll echo other suggestions for your hot takes on regular car stuff, but continue the beater stuff as well. It’s relatable. ????
That was me finding the bottom of the barrel, scraping it, then going through it into the ground beneath. No real criticisms here, you guys slammed it out of the park. I, for one, have zero qualms getting you some ad revenue.
I love the content, keep it up! The only improvements you can make that I can tell are layout improvements. I’d like it if the text field for comments was at the top of the comments section rather than at the bottom, so I don’t have to scroll down through every comment just to make one. And it would be cool to have a notification system for when users like or reply to your comments (like how Jalopnik does, like a little red circle to let you know there’s been activity related to you). Also photo/video hosting in the comments section would be great!
But everything else is fantastic! I’ve bookmarked this site and read it every day!
+1 for locating “post comment” above as well as bellow comments section 🙂
Love the wit, and the half-wit 😉 I saw all my petty grievances aired in the earlier comments, so keep up the great job you’re doing already, and the rest will come together!
Thanks, for restoring my hope in automotive journalism, and taillight fan fiction
Thanks Beau for giving a couple great guys a chance, thanks David and Jason for gathering great talent, and leading us to greater knowledge and community.
long live autopian!
Really, y’all surprised my with the variety of content for the 1st week. I’d call it a really strong start, for sure.
I’m really liking the content so far. There are a few bugs that I have encountered, but besides that, I’ve had a great time on this website.
You are doing great!
Love reading about DT’s escapades, the article about the Ford GT suspension issues was fascinating, and the article about STAB had me crying.
That being said all of the articles have been excellent, both in content and style.
Keep it up (please!)!
You all are doing fantastic. Every single
goddamn article this week was well worth reading, and a number of them were truly excellent. You’re killing it, keep it up!
My suggestion: what about some love for commercial vehicles? Cargo vans, box trucks, semi tractors, fuckin’ cement trucks even. There’s a whole world of stuff out there that most people never think about, even though millions and millions of people drive them every day.
How does a Transit stack up against a Sprinter or Promaster from a driver’s perspective, and why is Chevy hanging onto the Express? Why does Isuzu seem to have the medium-sized cabover truck market mostly sewn up in the States? What’s with those sweet three-wheeled forklifts you see on the back of lumberyard delivery trucks? What’s it like driving one of those mobile cranes that take up a lane and a half and can barely crack 50 mph? What’s the state of driver assist technology in a modern 18-wheeler?
I want to know these things. Tell us them!
Really like that commercial vehicle aspect. You see these trucks everyday but, even as a car guy, I know very little about them.
I am on Twitter… for specifically AND ONLY that reason (I dont comment on tweets, I dont say anything.):
Class 8 and or 9 vehicles,
Every OEM, retail and or aftermarket Specs
But today… I learned there is a type of a Kenworth called the C550 that is used to tow rigs used in the Alberta Oil fields.
Amazing.
Great suggestions, all of ’em.
+1 on commercial vehicles. And how about new tech in freight transport, such as hydrogen fuel cells?
Absolutely! I love vehicles with jobs!
The content has been fantastic thus far. Continue to emphasize quality over quantity.
As for the site layout, I’m missing picture hosting in the comments.
So far I think you guys are doing great! It’s got everything I enjoyed and loved from your *ahem* competitor. I especially like the addition of the weird Chinese cars written by Tycho, but then again, maybe I am just weird 😀
If anything, I always love reading the comments on posts, so perhaps some way to sort comments/reactions by popularity or date posted would be nice if it’s not already planned.
Love the site, loved every article so far, bought a shirt. Can’t wait to see how it progresses! It is SO NICE to have a website to visit that I know will have fun content that I know I’ll enjoy. It’s just like the feeling when my C&D magazine would arrive when I was in high school – only this is almost every day!
This might be a weird ask, but it would be neat for you fine folks to cover normcore content. And here’s why: I think every other publication covers major news lazily, and you wouldn’t.
Case in point: Thomas’s GR Corolla release article is the only one I read which didn’t just sound like the writer was being force-fed a PR release at the barrel of a gun. It was full of wit, irreverence, and technical acumen, three things that you and your team likely possess more of than any other automotive publication.
This week everyone was making the same fuss over the Hummer EV weighing 5 tons; I’d trust The Autopian to see past the easy conclusions and explore the real engineering tradeoffs that lead to that weight. Or at least to make some half-original jokes about it.
Unrelated: Jason and David announced they were leaving the Jello Picnic about the same time that I made a major life move, and seeing you two go chase a dream was genuinely inspiring. I’m proud of you, in a gruff fatherly way that becomes more meaningful due to the father’s usual aura of apathy and alcoholism.
I bunch of the old Jello Picnic gang is over at The Drive doing a great job with more regular car stuff. Between that and Autopian, it feels like the good old days. They don’t all write, but Andrew Collins, Patrick George, Spinelli, and Fancy Kristen are all hanging out over there. Even Tom McParland added some content there this week.
Agree. This week was basically TheDrive and Autotopian for me (J is officially dead for me now). TheDrive has more test drive/news related items but I suspect as Autotopian grows their ability to get testers from manufacturers will as well.
I like a lot about the content of that site, but it’s the singularly worst website on the internet with how it looks / ads. Also, could do without the military stuff.
The Drive works really well on firefox with the uBlock Origin add on. Like flawlessly perfect. I turned it off for a little while and my god i dont know how anybody uses that site without it
What’s crazy though is that The Warzone actually has some of the best coverage of the war in Ukraine I’ve seen anywhere. They frequently report stories days or even weeks before I see them in the major media (if I ever do) and with greater depth and insight, as well. I consider myself very much a dove, but I have a guilty, morbid fascination with military stuff and The Warzone does a great job at what it does. It’s odd that it isn’t its own site.
I don’t dare read the comments, though.
I actually followed Andrew Collins over to Car Bibles, which appears to have been eaten by TheDrive as of last week. CB kind of had the tone and coverage mix I’d like to see added to the autopian. Getting any of their writers (Peter Nelson, Chris Rosales, definitely Kevin Williams) would be a win.
Completely agree – love the unique stuff, but also appreciate that perspective on the vehicles that are regularly in the media too. Basically, please don’t make me fight thedrive’s terrible website for a decent review.
A good adblocker cleans that shit right up. Wish I could say the same for Jalopnik.
I love everything so far. The pace is manageable but I would definitely go to, ahem, other sites less to read more on this one. I love the quirky mix of stories. The Chinese xray was a welcome surprise, but I didn’t like the fake history one. But that’s just my opinion.
Definitely need to get some non-intrusive ads here. Please no autoplay with sounds and definitely no pop-ups please.
If there’s anyway to help more besides buying merch and smashing that like button, let us know!
I don’t want to say that I want to see less content from you and David, but I don’t want either of you to get burnt out writing articles and editing. Maybe start slow and work your way up once all the kinks are worked out? I’m sure you know how to handle it lol
Once again love the site!
Chinese XJ*
How do I edit? Lol
Good point on editing! I can’t see it either lol
+1 on comment editing. I hate it when I hit Post and only then realize I misspelled something or decide to add additional info or a LOL emoji.
You’re doing great, exactly the kind of content I’m interested in. Can’t wait for DT to get over here and get the VF up and running.
Having issues getting an avatar for my profile, was able to upload and get the ‘cover’ photo uploaded but not the profile pic/avatar
Hang on, got the profile pic sorted. Process on my phone wasn’t the most intuitive but still got the job done.
You guys are doing a fantastic job! I love that I don’t have to filter through 10 shit posts to get to a decent article, like in that other site I removed from my favorites not long ago….