Cars, Girls, and Money

Cars, Girls and Money


Often times I have stated this as the three ingredients to life, but now, I’m starting to wonder why these all go together. I was flipping through some of my old super street magazines (was I really interested in that crap a few years back?), and practically on every page there was a half naked girl sprawled across the centerfold with something like a turbo or a BOV on her body.
http://www.g20style.com/images/super_street_cover.jpg
Naturally, I gawk at the girl, and maybe later the car part, but I wonder if what I’m doing should really be accepted in the automotive world. What association do girls have with cars? I now that I’m speaking in general terms, and magazines like car and driver, road and track, top gear, consumer reports, etc, don’t put pictures of models all over their pages, but why do others? It’s almost like a sausage fest, meant only for guys. Sure, 90% of tuners are guys, but why do you add in the stripper idea? It’s almost if girls are another part to be added to your car, an accessory. Hell, even the ads in my magazines have girls on them. One of them even said “Girls love body kits”. Sex sells, but then you’re drawing attention to the girl, and not the thing that you’re actually buying. Should this really continue? Or is it another ricer/tuner division thing?

Eh, the point that I’m getting at, is; “Should cars always be related to girls and girls to cars? Or is it something that should not be condoned?”

  Godlaus

I don't know...Most guys that are into cars are also into women...I haven't seen too many gay tuners.

Women are in almost all ads for things that are marketed towards mmen, beer commercials, video games, etc. The magazin is just putting them in there as another reason to buy it.

  Zalight

you're missing my point. I'm very much straight, I'm closer to a pervert than to a gay, but the point is that, should cars be left for enthusiasts or for people who go to car shows to see the girls.

They're buying the girl, not the car, which kinda tarnishs the car's reputation.

err.....It's really hard to explain, do you see what I'm saying?

  Godlaus

Yeah I got you. Its all marketing, the guys staring at the chick with huge tits in a bikini holding an HKS T88r turbo, then the guy thinks "Oh, so if I get a turbo, she'll have dirty sex with me." Then he buys the turbo.

And don't worry, I wasn't calling you gay.

  Zalight

Lemme change the question. If you had the chance to take out all the pics of girls and just leave the product, without any bad consequence, would you do it? Would you go for a clean CAR mag or a dirty CAR/PORN mag?

I guess the choice really boils down to something like; Super street vs. Car and Driver.

  Godlaus

Well, if i buy a car mag, I want to look at cars. If I want porn I would just go get that. So I would have to go with Car and Driver (althoug I would really go with Sport Compact Car, no wannabe porn, great tech articles, awesome reviews etc.).

  Zalight

Same thing with NOPI? Would you take out the wet T-shirt contest? SEMA did the same thing, booths full of girls and cars.

It seems that people come to NOPI/SEMA just for the girls, and somehow I don't want that associated with cars. It has the wrong (ideals?) behind it.

  Godlaus

Well, the NOPI car shows (at least I think) are more directed towards ricers, and since ricers are retarded they prabaly come for the women and then are like "Hey look, There are cars here to!"

The image of the import scene is already a little askew of what true performance performance enthusiasts are into. So I don't thin it can hurt that much.

What it all comes down to is this; the women in car magazines, and at car shows doesn't really matter because they offer car magazines and shows devoid of any sort of ass shaking or mud wrestling. So the reader can just choose a different mag if they don't want all that crowding in wih thier car time.

  Zalight

yeah, it looks like another tuner/ricer division thing.

  Godlaus

Do you really think this?

I think it is just a case of similarity for the marketing demographic. Guys like cars, guys like hot girls. They put them together in the past and it seems to have worked. Is it getting to the point of abuse? Thats a tough question... is that what you are asking?

  boothe

I think they are telling you something a little obvious = if you have an xyz car you will pull good looking chicks. Stupid as it may seem some blokes actually believe a car is a babe magnet.

  Wally

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

It's all about cash. You could have exactly the same automotive content in 2 magazines, but if you put them side-by-side on a shelf, the one with the chicks in it will sell more copies. I'm sure many of the guys buying the mag would buy it with or without the women, but what about the guys who aren't hardcore car modders. For them, they just want to find out some of the latest stuff about cars, and the chicks are just like an added bonus.

  windsonian

Both my girlfriend and my mom think its funny how I'll be driving and I'll gawk out the window at a nice car...they both think I'm looking at a girl, till I point out the Ferrari behind her.

  Mathew

Is that why Car&Driver and MotorTrend outsell the tuner rags? ;)

  Gothicaleigh

car and driver and motort trend are directed to a wider array of audiences, rich old guys will read them to see what new ride they can have, families use it to judge on there next car purchases, and teens use it to learn about whats new and/or dream about haveing those new cars.

as for tuner mags like super street, HCI, Sport compact car(my favorite), and import tuner id say 95% of those sales go to youth 15 to like mid to late 20's and most people who are that age all they think about and talk about is sex, and then they see fast and the furious and decide they know everything about cars and so they decide to get the magazine, import tuner seems to be one of the favs.

Im not saying all people who get these magazines are like that, just alot of them are. :2cents:

  jasonk

Magazines use the babes because it helps sell product. Pure and simple.

Doesnt matter if your talking Mag covers, ads, or even a booth at SEMA. You are competing for share against every other entry. They look for something to get them noticed. Once the eye candy pulls someone in, then you can sell the product. But if you dont have the first hook, you fade into the background with the other 5,000 competing offerings.

I agree its kinda sad, and overdone somewhat. But the target is men, and its what works. Blame your fellow man if you dont like it ... or several million years of evolution.

Feel free to start a "clean" tuner mag ... see how it goes ... maybe there is market. But Darwin would tell you there is a reason why Birds learned to fly, ground hogs learned to hide in the ground, and Mag's learned to put babes in front of cars.


By the way "closer to a pervert than gay". Gay people cant be/aren't perverted?? Hmm, some would say they are independant axis, others would say that gay would be more perverted. Just unsure of putting them as oppisites.

  Topshelf

Agreed. I was actually reading up on the PSP release and I guess even they had models flaunting about in skimpy clothes showing off PSPes. If it helps sell...they'll do it.

  boothe

Cars are like anything else for guys. Clothes, haircuts, bathing, cologne, good jobs, nice house/apartment, etc. I can guarantee you tht unless teh pure sight of you causes girls to come running, you use some sort of attractant when your single. walk through a local, say, mall in grubby jeans and torn up T shirt, after not taking a bath for a week, then try it in a tailored suit with a fairly fresh haircut, and wearing a tiny bit of cologne. Think people will treat you different?

A guy's car can say a lot about his personality, his financial situation, etc. You think it doesn't? Arrive at a gathering place in this:

http://www.angelautos.com/images/85%20Chevy%20Cavalier.jpg

Then arrive in this:

http://speed.supercars.net/pitlane/pics/709186b.jpg

I actually had girls pull up next to me on the interstate when I was driving that car and ask me to dinner. Think they'd have done that if I were driving a stock Camry? I've had more than enough cars to know the difference (and don't even get me started about how girls flock to a motorcycle...). Trust me, if you're singe, and looking to find a compatible woman, the right car can make quite a bit of difference, just as the right clothes can.

Remember, they can't see your personality from across the parking lot.

As for the girls with the cars on magazine covers or calendars, yes, it's exploiting the weakness of guys to look at pretty women. Yes it's exploiting the desire guys have for finding a beautiful girlfriend. No, it isn't porn. Girls and fast cars have gone together for almost a century.

http://streetrodderweb.com/features/0404sr_milestones_03_z.jpg

Get over it.

  ChrisV

You are right of course. It's the "clothes maketh the man" thing.


http://hometown.aol.co.uk/NJMunns/bentley.jpg

  Wally