Best Motoring ending?

[gumball]

Is Best Motoring shutting shop?
The title for this page suggests it, but I can't translate the page:
http://www.bestmotoring.jp/news/bestmotoring_hot-version/
It would be a shame.

[Kaz-kzukNA1]

Yes, it’s true.

They announced that they are going to ‘suspend’ the publication and the final release was the June 2011 edition which was released on 26/Apr.

They are also suspending not only the ‘Best Motoring’ but also the ‘Hot Version’ as well.


It’s sad but personally, I won’t be surprised.


I start buying and watching Best Motoring more than 20 years ago.
If I remember correctly, I think I started watching it from almost their 1st edition.


Up until several years ago, it had lots of technical information, good video coverage and also in my view, it was partially acting as the message board between the owners and the Japanese car manufactures.


Even after I moved to UK, I kept receiving the Video and then DVD every month.


However, several years ago, I asked to stop sending it to me.


There were not much technical information, repeat of similar car and comment every month and most importantly, it lost serving as the connection between the owners and the car manufactures.

The automotive market in Japan has also dramatically changed over the last 20 years.

Unlike in the past, young generation doesn’t have great interest in sport cars or motor racing like it used to be and majority of Japanese car manufactures shifted their effort on the more profitable models such as MPV, Hybrid and so on.


I don’t think the people behind the recent Best Motoring was providing/listening to what the buyers wanted to see.


As there was a special content for NSX on the May 2011 edition, I bought it for the first time in many years but that’s it.

Hope they will refresh the concept and come back again in the future.


Kaz

[gumball]

Sad to see this end, even though I am 'Japanese impaired' I loved the enthusiasm the presenters brought to the show, but all formats can get stale eventually I suppose.
Sports cars and motor racing are going through some tough times in Japan at the moment(well everywhere really), but even Super GT not drawing big support like before?

Like you say, I hope they return with renewed vigour.