Below is Editor Jay Heath's editorial column from the upcoming November issue introducing the newly redesigned VETTE Magazine.
Welcome to the first issue of the new and improved VETTE. As you [will] see, we've made some significant changes in an effort to improve both the aesthetic and the functional aspects of the magazine. Along with higher-quality paper, a glossier cover, perfect (non-stapled) binding, and 16 additional pages per issue — we've broadened our editorial focus to include all aspects of the Corvette hobby and implemented a clean-sheet redesign of the way we present information. Our goals are to provide, at long last, a publication that more accurately reflects the premier status of America's Sports Car and to better serve the needs of the people who love it.
Those of you who previously purchased or subscribed to Corvette Fever will be happy to learn that we've taken pains to incorporate the best elements of that publication into our new format. Former Fever contributors such as Jerry Heasley, Richard Prince, and John Machaqueiro will lend the package a fresh dose of artistic élan, while VETTE stalwarts like Steve Temple, Walt Thurn, and Barry Kluczyk will continue to serve up the kind of in-depth industry insight and historical con-text to which readers of this magazine have become accustomed.
As for the stories themselves, VETTE will no longer be constrained by the limitations on content under which it was previously forced to operate. Freed by the dissolution of Fever from the need to differentiate ourselves editorially, we'll be casting a much wider net over the cars that make up the hobby, adding NCRS-quality restorations and lightly modified drivers to the mix of big-power street cars and cutting-edge customs that populated the pages of the old VETTE.
We'll also be greatly expanding the amount of space we devote to the hobby's human component—what's typically referred to in magazine business as "lifestyle" content. Such articles might focus on driving destinations, marque-themed events, Corvette personalities, and myriad other topics that were previously considered too far afield of our (primarily car-based) editorial formula.
Critically, VETTE will continue to be distinguished by its commitment to excellence in the realm of technical content. In the roughly five-and-a-half years since I took over as editor, the magazine has consistently been the first in its market segment to publish instrumented performance tests of the latest Corvette models and aftermarket equipment. This emphasis on real-world performance data is based on my belief that, as attractive and well-rounded as the Vette has become in recent years, the car's appeal still stems primarily from its ability to exert race-car-quality g-loads on its occupants at a fraction of the cost of its rivals. Tech coverage, then, is one area in which you'll no doubt detect an element of constancy.
In short, our intent going forward is nothing less than to produce the finest Corvette-specific publication on the market. While we think we have a pretty good idea of how to do that, we hope you'll let us know whether you feel we're on the right track. As always, we can be reached at vette@sorc.com.
Now that you have an idea of what to expect, let's get to the good stuff. - Jay Heath