Product Review:  9 Magazine, August 2002

By Glenn H. Hill
Porscheforme Editor

     Brian Minson appears to have had enough of magazines for Porsches!  He obviously feels that other enthusiast’s publications are out-of-touch with the majority of Porsche owners out there.  His solution?  With true American entrepreneurial swagger, he went out and started his own! 

            The new kid on the block is called “9 Magazine”.  Even a quick look at this new magazine reveals that it is indeed quite different from its peers…9 Magazine rolls up its sleeves and gets to work!   If you’re the kind of enthusiast that likes to knock off a few car-improvement projects, or if you’d like to be that kind of person, this could be a resource you want to investigate.  Other magazines may have articles about someone who spent $150,000 restoring a Carrera Speedster or building a 200-mph land missile, but for most of us such projects are little more than fantasy.  9 Magazine comes down to earth with information on getting started in autocrossing, how to refurbish your windshield washer system, and even replacing your turn signal!  They’ve taken pains to include something for everyone.  If you’re not quite ready to follow the article on 911-engine removal, then flip back a few pages and come to grips with putting the perfect shine on your P-car’s paint!  If you’ve mastered that skill already, then how about dressing up your trusty 944 with aero side mirrors from a newer 968?   Most remarkable is the article in the Fall 2002 issue on “How to use your Multi-Meter”.  OK, so it’s not exactly light-duty reading, but for those of us who didn’t go to school for automotive mechanics, this is where you can learn to use an incredibly powerful tool to end the otherwise frustrating process of debugging an electrical gremlin.  Now you can fix that nagging problem yourself, without dropping the car off for three days and shelling out $200 to fix a $25 part!  If you don’t have electrical issues because your brand-new Boxster is still under factory warranty, then check out the article on “Boxster Extras”, a review of the top ten aftermarket products for your low-slung German wonder.  There’s other product reviews as well, from engine parts to key chains, so don’t feel left out.  There really is something for everyone.

            If you think 9 Magazine is just a monthly tech manual, think again.  They’ve included a charming story about a 356 coupe that was found, restored, and put back on the road.  Everyone loves to read a good restoration story, don’t they?  Makes you feel sane somehow.  Also, in the back of every issue are a couple of pages of “Real Porsches…Real People”, featuring cars just like the one in your driveway.  For those who like the challenge of an ongoing project, 9 Magazine has a 1974 Carrera Project that they’ll be working on for awhile. 

            Critically speaking, there’s still a somewhat rough look to this new magazine.  There’s an occasional typo, and it clearly looks as though they’re still trying to find their way, stylistically.  Don’t be too hard on them, though.  They’re obviously trying very hard to put out a good product with useful information, and besides, it’s no piece of cake starting a new magazine from scratch…especially for such fickle and demanding customers!  Once 9 Magazine cuts its teeth, however, it’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.  The idea of a Porsche magazine “for the rest of us” is long overdue, and should be warmly received.  Grab a copy for yourself and check it out, or visit their website at www.9magazine.net.