Hot VW’s Magazine turns down Black Mamba Racing
While attending The Winter Jam Festival Car Show this past February in Daytona Beach Fl, we approached the technical editor (Dean Kirsten) of Hot VWs magazine and inquired about getting the car featured in one of the monthly magazines. Being a dedicated reader of Hot VW, we were confident that there would be interest in running a story on The Black Mamba, due to the evolution and wide spread interest. We were surprised by the reasons given as to why there would be no interest in doing an article. Here are the reasons: 1. Color of the car is too dark 2. The car has a rotary engine. This I found strange because there is a Hot VW issue that contains a full write up of a car that has a rotary in it (November 2007). I have always been a die hard reader of Hot VWs, and was under the impression that the magazine’s aim was to share stories and accomplishments of VW enthusiast (in what ever creative shape that might come in). but since this experience I have come to realize that HOT VWs magazine decision to look at the possibility of running an article of a VW enthusiast relies on one person’s opinion (Dean Kirsten) and if he is not interested then the buck stops there. Let us know what you think (info@blackmambarotarybug.com), we would love to know your opinion and you can let the Technical Editor (dkirsten@hotvws.com) know as well.
March 11, 2010 at 1:35 am
Wow!!! That sucks… Are you sure this guy doesn’t have something against you. He should have least asked you to submit the request to make it appear that there would be some amount of work to tell you NO. To hell with Hot VW, if they can do that to you…what the hell would they do if they saw my ride
Good Luck to the BLACK MAMBA!!!!
March 11, 2010 at 1:40 am
DMac don’t feel no way! You don’t need to be featured in HOT VWs, the interest that you have growing in that car everyday is phenomenal and you just keeping it real!
March 11, 2010 at 3:06 am
The mere fact that he wrote something will catch the attention of others……..controversy brings publicity. Nuh watch nuh face DM…..do you ting!!!
March 11, 2010 at 7:53 am
!Hey ,this mag its only aim to buggies and sand crap! just look at their recent stuff ,its filled with worthless adds and articles that personally tell me nothing ,but thats just me ! just be thankfull! another mag will pick up your story and it wont be lost in pages filled with bs merchandise! whatta bomba clad do ya!
March 11, 2010 at 11:40 am
Damien, The car is awesome. What are they going to say when you beat ken fisher next month in a stock wheel base right hand drive super beetle. The magazine puts more attention to cars that are all show no go.
March 11, 2010 at 2:41 pm
I guess you have to paint your car bright green and fut a 4×4 Izuzu frame under it to get coverage in the mag. Don’t worry about them, your car is awsome and if the mag is too narrow minded to run an outstanding story with such a bad ass car as a result of the quest to go faster, then f’em.
March 11, 2010 at 5:05 pm
You know in the latest issue they have some abortion bug, on some other car chassis and motor. Just a bug shell on another car. What gives???
DM, just keep doing your thing, it’s not about the mag. It’s about the people around you.
Spanish Flea
March 11, 2010 at 10:17 pm
That is very sad and unfair such a person should not be placed in a position of power. Also to think that you have been supporting this magazine for years your dollars spent I am sure adds to his salary what a FASSY!!
March 12, 2010 at 2:37 am
Just keep the car looking good, and running fast, they will come to you in time…..
March 14, 2010 at 2:15 pm
WTF!!??!!! no worries D… one magazine dont make de world…especially our VW world!! LOL… without accomplishments like yours where would the above un-named magazine .. weh it name again??
would not have started !! LOL
May 14, 2010 at 9:21 am
HI I have also been shot down by some of ou local mags and it just made me stronger and determined to Kick some more ass on the strip
Keep it up man you are doing very well
Pierre
Bugger
May 26, 2010 at 10:44 pm
I take no pleasure turning down anyone who has built or drives an older VW. That same weekend I talked to you, I spoke to a dozen other VWs for the same reason, will you shoot my car for the magazine? I had to turn down all but two of them as well. I gave you my reasons why, and I stick by them today. The fact that I did shoot photos of a Isuzu 4×4-based VW proves that I am open to new ideas, and not just the same old thing. We can only run 5-6 feature cars per month, x12, and you have only 50-60 VWs per year that can make the magazine. And of those, only a handful would be pure drag cars. We have turned down many black painted cars in the past. We have turned down many non-VW powered cars in the past as well. We, as a staff of three, have to make tough choices that we feel, from 30+ years of publishing experience each, will ultimately help sell the magazine. A few get choosen, but most, for one reason or another, do not. Sorry yours was not one of them. Dean Kirsten