These two Letters of the Month are the first installments from our eCCC. We had to give him the award twice because he needs new tires for that Jetta and he has a machine gun! When the people at Toyo Tires heard about Brady, they were moved and more than happy to show support for him by generously donating a set of its excellent Proxes FZ4 tires to help keep the morale of at least one soldier very high. No matter what you may feel about our troops being over there, remember these are real people who need our support. Check in next month to see what Brady's been up to.
End of DiscussionMy wife just sent me the February issue. As I was reading some of the emails and letters, I could see that Honda stuff really pissed off a lot of people. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said you weren't siding with rice but were just encouraging people to "know the enemy."
Last month there was an Iraqi sniper who shot a soldier inside a tank. Just his head was poking out, but he got hit in the face from over 31/44 of a mile away with a 10mph crosswind. It's a remarkable shot. I hate that one of our soldiers was killed, but I can admire the sniper's skill. I think the same logic applies (without the head shots or death) to your situation. Some people just forget that even though we're either Euro, domestic or ricers, we all have a passion for cars and should give credit where it's due. Regardless of your car, the passion is the same. Nobody likes a hater.
I guess some readers aren't ready for debate. They ignore the weaknesses and live in a world where Euros are untouch-able. If we can't be honest with ourselves, we can't improve.
While some people have nothing better to do but bitch, remember there are people like me who push their way through a magazine rack just to get to eurotuner. Tell everybody at the mag thanks for sharing the same dream as us and keep up the good work.
By the way, I am seriously jealous of all the event coverage you guys have been doing. If you need a photographer or a fluffer, you know my email address.Sgt. Cloward, Brady A.210th FSB 10th Mtn. DivisionBaghdad, Iraq
In all my years editing mags, this is the most powerful letter I've ever read. If anybody out there remains a hater and isn't touched by this incredible lesson, you need to rethink your motivation.Greg Emmerson, Editor
ThanksI recently subscribed to eurotuner after seeing an ad in Super Street magazine. I own a '93 BMW 325i and was sick of seeing only import magazines, so I decided to subscribe. The very first issue I got (12/04) made me very happy. Right on the front page was a '92 325is that has already given me many new ideas for my car, since I'm just starting out. And even the articles on the VWs kept me hooked. I've read that issue about six times and still go back to it. eurotuner always gives me links to websites so I can find things for my car, which those crappy import mags never did. So I just wanted to say thanks for such a great magazine and keep 'em coming.Matt Cabral New Bedford, MA
Good MorningHere it is - 7am. I have to go to work to make money painting cars so I can buy parts for my car (the vicious cycle I've come to love), and I'm reading the Time Attack article in the 2/05 issue. Now I know you've received hate mail in the past for talking about or showing Japanese cars. Anyway, I just wanted to say that, no matter how much I love my Volkswagen and can't imagine myself driving anything but Volkswagens for a long time, you have to respect the power that can be put down by a Japanese car. It's blasphemy to a lot of people I know, but this isn't high school. The whole "my pee-pee is bigger than yours" mentality is so lame and I'm sick of it. Can't we all just rev along? Will there be a day when "ricers" and "krauts" can hang out and admire each other's cars without mocking each other? Will there be a day when I can do something nontraditional to my car without it being called "ricey"?