Car and Driver drawing flak over Photoshopped BMW X6 M drag racing pic?
Hardcore drag racers take their expensive hobby very seriously. Some drag owners cut into their 401k just to knock a couple tenths off of their quarter mile times, while others spend every possible spare moment of their lives holed up in a garage, perfecting their hot rod for just a few chances to take that magical run down the track. Keep that in mind, if you will, as we explain to you why the owner of an altered wheelbase 1963 Chevy II is angry over an apparently Photoshopped photo of its run against Car and Driver magazine's BMW X6 M.
Car and Driver took the 550 hp X6 M to Milan Dragway in Milan, MI as part of an article which featured the beastly Bimmer on the track, off-road, and at the dragway. One of the runs the X6 M took was against said Chevy, which reportedly runs the quarter mile in the high 9's, reaching a scorching 135 mph in the process. The X6 M is no pushover either, as it can hit a sports car like 12.8 seconds at 110 mph. At no time did C/D claim that they bested the heavily modded Chevy (nor did they mention the hot rod at all), but what they did do was publish a photo of the Bimmer and the Bow Tie'd bandit battling nose to nose down the dragway. Actually, judging purely by the C/D photo, it appears that the X6 M may even have a bit of an edge in the high horsepower battle.
After seeing the photo, the owner of the Chevy II is apparently hopping mad. "Rotten Johnny" on the H.A.M.B forums claims to be the owner of the dragster in question, and he was less than thrilled with what he called a Photoshopped pic that deceives the public.
"Alls I can say is the mag,editors and writers are LAIRS,CHEATERS and WANNA BE SCAMMERS. Bring that ol BMW out, title fer title and write an article bout that.I'll be driven around in a little red suv. No wonder the only time i see that mag is in the doctors office, makes me sick."We can definitely see where Rotten Johnny would be upset over the photo (he says he was actually doing a burnout in the altered pic), but we can also see where it was necessary to bust out Photoshop to get both vehicles into a tight frame. After all, who wants to read a feature of the X6 M with a lead photo of a 1963 Chevy II with a spec of a BMW SUV off in the distance? Then again, was the image really necessary to support the story to begin with?
In any case, C/D has issued a reply that includes a heaping helping of the sort of snark made famous by the mysterious "Ed." in the magazine's monthly reader mail section. To wit:
"John Phillips became so attached to the BMW X6M that it - appropriately enough - triggered many irrational responses. One of these was his insistence that we photoshop the BMW beating the clearly superior Chevy Nova. Any attempt to dissuade him - by telling him, for instance, that only an idiot would believe a BMW SUV could beat a purpose-built drag car - just resulted in heated calls to the suicide hotline and even more foaming at the mouth than usual."Let us know what your thoughts on the matter are in 'Comments.' Hat tip to Justin E!
[Sources: Jalopy Journal; Car and Driver]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Derek 11:35AM (10/05/2009)
It's a bad photoshop job at that. Look through the passenger side window of the BMW, is that a Chevy you see?
Reply
James 11:59AM (10/05/2009)
Car & Driver is Rotten...
Derek 12:17PM (10/05/2009)
Oh, wait, it gets better.
The lazy bums didn't event bother to pick a different photo to 'shop another drag race, they used the same X6 photo (with the same smoke-filled passenger window) and put a truck into instead: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/09q3/2010_bmw_x6_m_-road_test/gallery/2010_bmw_x6_m_at_milan_dragway_photo_21
roadkillrob 2:04PM (10/05/2009)
Rotten Johnny says they photo cropped that pic - is that the red neck version of Photoshop (which would be what - a pen knife and some chewing tobacco spit?)
Eric Bandholz 2:08PM (10/05/2009)
I'm pretty sure if you are taking a photo from a standing position that a solid object (ie wall) would not have any motion effects.
Derek 2:12PM (10/05/2009)
Eric - if you pan with the moving cars then you get a sharp picture of the vehicles and a blurred background. See any in-motion press photo of a new car.
nick 3:09PM (10/05/2009)
hahahahahahahahaha, lmao...good catch derek
some1 3:17PM (10/05/2009)
C/D are full of a bunch of idiots anyway... but it doesnt surprise me they messed with the image.
If they wanted to show the 2, why not show them at the tree? why would they go through the effort of do this?
Some people here side with C/D but to be honest, C/D has always been a bunch of bias BMW loving loons.
And yes, hard core people will know the chevy would destroy the BMW... but most hard core people also know that C/D is crap, and thus most of their sales probubly go to those who dont know any better, and now want to buy this "awesome" BMW.
The editors remarks were cocky... to think that anyone who knows anything about cars gives that mag credit to begin with is idiotic.
Kitko 4:25PM (10/05/2009)
James, Rotten Johny has no right to say something was modified or not... he merely stole Sex Pistols singer's name (Johny Rotten) and reversed the words. Now that's original....
Eric Bandholz 7:13PM (10/05/2009)
@Derek. I suspect those are all photoshopped as well. If you want authentic non-altered photos look at spy shots. As an example, if you look at cars on the Nurburgring you will see the cars are crystal clear, and there is no motion blur except maybe the wheels.
Examples:
http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/bmw-m5-f10-prototype-nurburgring-side-rear.jpg
http://photos.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_586/car_photo_293103_25.jpg
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&um=1&sa=1&q=nurburgring+spy+shots&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
Dude 11:36AM (10/05/2009)
Car and Driver playing favorites with BMW? Say it ain't so!
/sarcasm
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yosh 11:51AM (10/05/2009)
This is why I don't read magazines anymore. Long live blogs! Keep up the good journalism AutoBlog
Interestingly, I prefer gizmodo to engadget but autoblog to jalopnik. Why should I have to be loyal to one brand?
jg 8:37PM (10/05/2009)
So a mag called Car & Driver seems to favor an auto manufacturer that focuses on driving? Stop the presses, you gots yourself a scoop. Let's hear more. See if you can find any interior decorating focused mags that like Audi. That's a story that needs breaking.
larry raines 11:38AM (10/05/2009)
........"the mysterious "Ed.""?
That means Editor, allot of publications use it.
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disbelief0 1:45PM (10/05/2009)
It's spelled, "a lot."
Referring to C/D's "Ed." as mysterious makes sense if you actually have read the magazine. "Ed." is notoriously snarky, and they never disclose who actually writes those comments. They've printed reader questions asking who it is, with a response filled with only more snark and no answer.
Publications have multiple editors.
G sucks 1:45PM (10/05/2009)
What the heck is an allot? I believe that you have combined two words and added a letter.
This article is hilarious by the way. Lol @ RottenJohnny
larry raines 2:17PM (10/05/2009)
"they never disclose who actually writes those comments. They've printed reader questions asking who it is, with a response filled with only more snark and no answer."
Who cares, it is the Editor(s) - either one, or "a lot" of them.
happy?
Taylor 11:38AM (10/05/2009)
What kind of an idiot would have taken that picture seriously enough to get that heated up about it....oh wait, I know who....
retard
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TonyInMI 2:03PM (10/05/2009)
You wouldn't if it was your car? Arse.
Taylor 2:05PM (10/05/2009)
It wouldnt bother me...I'd be thrilled they used my car in the pic and I'm also smart enough to realize its a p-shop....oh yeah, did I mention that I'm not an idiot?