The year was 1998. Titanic took home 11 Oscars and Monica Lewinsky was the most popular girl on the primetime news. But lo and behold, this year also sparked the beginning of MaxSpeed, our original title.
With a mission to "combine global performance, style and technology into one package," MaxSpeed quickly emerged at the forefront of tuner magazines as the source for high performance tuner cars. From European to Asian imports, the mag focused on vehicles valued below $30k.
After a year, MaxSpeed transformed to Max Power (US Edition), based on the popular UK title of the same name. The magazine passed from Petersen Publishing to EMAP - the British company that operated Max Power UK.
The merger would bring more inspiration and resources from Great Britain, which included their more aggressive photography, witty humor, scandalous girls and European style of modifying.
At the same time, the US editors launched VW Tuner, a bonus pullout section devoted to watercooled Volkswagens, which in turn led to its own newsstand publication. The limited-run magazine lasted until Max Power abandoned the Japanese imports one year later, concentrating solely on European content.
Max Power continued to flourish as one of the most popular European tuner titles on the newsstands until Dec '01, when the name changed to eurotuner with a change of ownership to Primedia. Since then, et has showcased the best show and tuner cars in North America, in addition to providing the most thorough reports on shows, new products, project cars and tech installs. Here's to another ten years... Cheers!
 October 1998 The premier...  October 1998
The premier issue of MaxSpeed had an Infiniti G20t on the cover. The main story addressed the globalization and consolidation of OE manufacturers and tuners. The issue also featured a supercharged BMW 318ti, Honda Accord on nitrous and radar detector buyer's guide. |  September 1999 For the span...  September 1999
For the span of nearly a year, VW Tuner was a special pullout section within the magazine. Newsstands also carried standalone versions of VW Tuner. Its goal was to report on watercooled Volkswagens, excluding the older aircooled VWs. |  November 1999 Inspired by...  November 1999
Inspired by the British, Max Power (US Edition) was born, showcasing an Acura NSX on the cover. The issue also signified a shift from all import cars to primarily Euros with four VW feature cars and a BMW M3. |
 November 2000 The end of...  November 2000
The end of Japanese tuner features as Max Power focuses solely on VW, Audi and BMW, with additional resources for Mercedes, Porsche and mobile electronics. The cover car was a stunning BMW M3 from California. |  November 2001 Our first Kreuzerfest...  November 2001
Our first Kreuzerfest to Waterfest.Nearly 100 cars joined et to drive to Great Meadows, NJ before Waterfest switched to Englishtown Raceway the following year. Also in the issue was a supercharged and nitrous-injected BMW M3, Schnitzer-kitted BMW 330i and a new-school Scirocco 16v. |  December 2001 "New Name -...  December 2001
"New Name - Same Game." eurotuner was born to reflect its core cars and establish a different brand for the title. The groundbreaking issue featured a VW Corrado 1.8T on the cover along with a widebody Mercedes CLK430, BMW M3 on nitrous and a big-brake buyer's guide. |
 October 2002 A special edition...  October 2002
A special edition of et dedicated to racing. The cover car was Hagestad Racing's World Challenge Mk4 Jetta. Other highlights included a BTCC Volvo S40 replica, One Lap of America coverage and a naturally-aspirated Mk3 Jetta VR6 running 12sec quarters. |  January 2003 Old school,...  January 2003
Old school, always cool - our first "Old School" issue. This would be an annual tradition for several years and some of et's most memorable issues. In this inaugural mag, Euro Sport's Mk2 GTI 16v decorated the cover. |  September 2003 The first...  September 2003
The first et Tuner Grand Prix. Nine competitors were tested on the dyno, top seed and quickest lap time on the Streets of Willow road course. The tuner challenge is the longest-running et event and continues today, with the addition of drag racing into the event. |
 January 2004 This Old-School...  January 2004
This Old-School issue saw the start of one of our most popular builds - Project EuroTrash. They carried out brakes, big bumpers, coilovers, wheels and stereo upgrades on the Mk2 Jetta 8v, but sadly the planned VR6 engine conversion was never completed. |  June 2005 Another of our...  June 2005
Another of our favorite project cars was revealed - this daily-driven yet track-ready BMW 330i sedan built under the guidance of Turner Motorsport. For over a year, we installed and tested big brakes, coilovers, LSD, wheels, software, cams and exhaust upgrades. |  December 2006 Volkswagen...  December 2006
Volkswagen of America's greatest SEMA concept car, the R GTI was exclusively unveiled. We were even able to track-test the car that earned the highest score in the GTI Tuner Challenge (et 1/07). |
 October 2007 We compiled...  October 2007
We compiled a special 37-page tribute to the best of Waterfest 13. The show has become the recognized leader of North American VW/Audi events, drawing the very best cars, tuners and excitement to one great venue. |  February 2008 A unique "alternative...  February 2008
A unique "alternative issue" demonstrating the past, present and future of European tuning. A land-speed record Ferrari F40 competitor was our lead story, along with previews of the new Smart car, electric-powered Tesla Roadster, plus diesel tuning guide and Nrburgring vacation tips. |  November 2008 Ten years later...  November 2008
Ten years later and we're still bringing you the best European tuning with this "BMW E46 special issue". And we plan to stay around for another ten years! A huge thank you to all the readers and advertisers for your support throughout the years, and to all the staff who helped make eurotuner so special. |