Road & Track

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications.
Primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of the article are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please include more appropriate citations from reliable sources, or discuss the issue on the talk page.
This article has been tagged since May 2008.

Road & Track is an automobile enthusiast magazine in the United States, founded by two friends in 1947. It is owned by Hachette Filipacchi Media and is published monthly.

Road & Track focuses on both production and sports cars, and is the only automotive magazine that gives more than a passing glance to motorcycles. This is no small coincidence, since it is the sister publication of Cycle World and the two magazines share offices and some editorial staff in Newport Beach, California.

Compared to other major American automobile magazines, Road & Track (often abbreviated R&T) focuses much more on auto racing. Former race car drivers often contribute material, including Paul Frère and former Formula 1 champion Phil Hill. In their January 2006 issue, they featured a new contributing writer, Gordon Murray, the designer of the McLaren F1.

Their trademark stylized ampersand (&) is the title of a monthly article showcasing the latest developments in future cars and prototypes. Other monthly features include "Road Tests" and "First Drives" of the latest production cars. Editor-in-Chief Thos L Bryant, Engineering Editor Dennis Simanaitis, and popular Editor-at-Large Peter Egan all have monthly columns.

In 2004, Road & Track developed a new magazine concept titled Speed, which focuses on the aftermarket tuning trend. In the February 2006 issue, it was announced that Speed will be a web-based magazine, no longer being printed.

Like many auto magazines, Road & Track used to publish an annual Ten Best list, but it has not done so in years. Car and Driver, also owned by Hachette Filipacchi Media, publishes their own Ten Best list.

[edit] Trivia

Road & Track magazine also contributed to the 1994 video game, The Need for Speed, to help the designers match vehicle behavior and sounds to that of the real cars.