News

The Motor Press Guild is saddened to learn of the passing of Alex Xydias, a true pioneer in the field of motorsports. Alex was a friend to MPG for many decades, and we take great pride in the fact that he accepted the MPG Dean Batchelor Award for lifetime achievement in 2018. His legacy lives on through his many contributions to car culture, including the founding of So-Cal Speed Shop in Burbank, his many years working in automotive publishing, and his work in establishing the SEMA Show as the premier aftermarket trade show it is today. Our deepest condolences to his family and close friends. - MPG President Ryan ZumMallen

To learn more, see this article published by Performance Racing Industry News: Industry Mourns Loss of Hot-Rodding Pioneer, SEMA Hall of Famer Alex Xydias, 102

Below, Bruce Meyer presents Xydias with the Dean Batchelor Lifetime Achievement Award at the Petersen Automotive Museum in 2018, alongside Mark Vaughn and 2010 Batchelor Awardee John Clinard. Photo provided by Doug Stokes.

Membership of the Motor Press Guild, the largest automotive media association in North America, elected new members to its board of directors this week to serve the organization through 2024 and beyond.

Two members of the board will begin new, three-year terms. Ezekiel Wheeler of eBay Motors was voted in as a new addition, and K.J. Jones of Motor Trend was confirmed to serve a second three-year term. Rebecca Lindland of Cars Commerce was appointed by the outgoing president to serve a one-year term.

The additions bring the board to nine members in total. They join James Bell of Kia America, Lisa Delaney formerly of the Motorcycle Industry Council, Jim Dvorak of Mothers, Steven Ewing of Edmunds, Sandra Muñoz of Latinaology.com and Ryan ZumMallen of Carrara Media.

The first action of the new board was to elect new officers, according to MPG bylaws. Outgoing president Jack Nerad chaired the proceedings. The board voted to approve former vice president Ryan ZumMallen as president, K.J. Jones as vice president, Jim Dvorak as treasurer and Lisa Delaney as secretary.

The board wishes to thank outgoing president Jack Nerad for his dedication to leading the organization through the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as treasurer Larry Rusznak who served dutifully as treasurer for two years.

The 2024 MPG Board looks forward to bringing meaningful events, information and value to the membership. 

Photos courtesy of Myles Regan and Ryan ZumMallen

More than 50 members of the automotive media community gathered to hear panel discussions from leading artists and photographers during the "Art & Racing" event hosted by the Motor Press Guild on Tuesday in El Segundo, Calif.

Held in partnership with the Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum, which graciously offered its meeting space, the event was offered at no cost to MPG members. It was one of a continuing series of in-person events MPG has hosted this year. The next will be a panel discussion at the SEMA show in early November.

With visual arts as the theme of the evening, the first panel featured three fine artists and sculptors with deep automotive backgrounds. Felix Holst, a former Mattel Hot Wheels designer, outlined his transition to fine artist. Emile Bouret discussed how his passion for racing fueled his artistic career. Michael Etrick, a clay modeler for several OEMs, described his move to automotive sculptor. The profusely illustrated individual interviews were incisively conducted by Eric Noble, founder and president of The CarLab automotive consulting firm.

The second panel included top practitioners of automotive photography representing several different generations. Moderated by Elana Scherr, senior features editor for Car and Driver, the wide-ranging discussion touched on the many changes car photography has seen over the past four decades and the personal styles of the three panelists. Photographer, videographer, and YouTube personality Larry Chen talked about his news-oriented style. Studio photographer Dean Kirkland discussed his techniques for creating memorable portraits of vintage and special interest cars. Longtime magazine and OEM advertising photographer Randy Lorentzen told tales of memorable shoots and revealed his philosophy on photo gear.

“I wish every MPG member had been in the audience for this event,” Jack R. Nerad, president of the Motor Press Guild, said at its conclusion. “The stories told by the participants were magical. The evening demonstrated again that MPG can produce events unlike any others for its members and the overall automotive community."

The night’s audience was filled with seasoned media and public relations professionals. Equally important, the event also attracted new guests, many attending an MPG event for the first time. 

The "Art & Racing" event would not have been possible without the tireless work of MPG Board members Larry Rusznak and Ryan ZumMallen and co-chair John Grafman. Special thanks to our many volunteers and museum staff who elevated the experience for all in attendance. Thank you also to Myles Regan for taking photos during the event - to view additional photos from the event, click this link. 

Follow the Motor Press Guild on Instagram to see photos and video highlights.

The board and event planning committee now look ahead to the MPG panel discussion scheduled to be held during the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas in early November. Look for more information regarding that event right here soon.

The Motor Press Guild has confirmed a stellar lineup of guest speakers for the "Art & Racing" event to be held at the Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo on Tuesday, October 10th from 4:00-7:00pm. MPG members are FREE to attend. Admission for non-members is $25. The panel discussions will be broken up into two groups: one for fine art; and one for photography. Panelists will discuss their career path and inspiration. Art Panel (Moderator: Eric Noble, founder and president at The CarLab) EMILE BOURET: A former professional racing driver, Bouret is now a fine artist whose portfolio includes hyper-realistic paintings as well as logos and liveries. FELIX HOLST: The former head of design at Hot Wheels, Holst is a painter who creates dazzling large-scale works of racecars in motion. MICHAEL ETRICK: An industrial designer who has penned the styles of many cars on the road today, Etrick also sculpts elegant aluminum pieces inspired by motorsport. Photo Panel Moderator: Elana Scherr, senior features editor at Car and Driver LARRY CHEN: A fixture at Pikes Peak, drifting competitions and car culture events around the world, Chen also hosts a show on the Hagerty YouTube channel. DEAN KIRKLAND: Having produced vibrant studio photographs of some of the most recognizable racecars in history, Kirkland is also a commercial and film director. RANDY LORENTZEN: Lorentzen has shot numerous magazine covers for several decades and specializes in hot rods with a dramatic artistic flair. Follow the Motor Press Guild on Instagram for updates and examples of their work. We hope to see you there!

Writers, photographers, videographers, and social media producers honored in national program

June 1, 2023 — The Motor Press Guild, the nation’s largest association of automotive journalists and public relations professionals, is proud to announce the finalists for its Best of Automotive Journalism Awards. The national program is designed to promote the highest caliber work in the automotive media. Each year MPG solicits entries from across the country. 

"In an age when machines threaten the human creative process, it is important to recognize individual achievements in writing, photography, video, and audio," Jack R. Nerad, President of the Motor Press Guild, said. "The finalists have invested their unique sensibilities in creating each of these praiseworthy works, and their achievements should be celebrated."

The MPG Best of Automotive Journalism Awards program honors books, articles, photographs, and audio-visual creations. Each year the highest achievement in auto journalism from among all the nominees is recognized with the Dean Batchelor Award, an award named after one of the nation’s leading lights in auto journalism. The 2022 Motor Press Guild Best of Automotive Journalism Awards will be presented at MPG Drive Day 2023, June 6, at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu.

The following is a list of the creators and their works that have been judged finalists for the 2022 awards. To qualify, an article, audio-visual, book, or photograph must have been published for the first time in calendar-year 2022. The finalists are presented in alphabetical order by their last names.

Bob D’Olivo Award for Photography Finalists

Christina Brinkerhoff, Cover of March 2022 issue of Porsche Panorama

Jan Wagner, “NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Brandon Jones walked away from this”

Randy Wells, “The Last Porsche 911 ST Race Car”

Best Book Award Finalists

Randy Lanier with A.J. Baime, Survival of the Fastest

Preston Lerner, Shelby American

Sylvia Wilkinson, Dirt Tracks to Glory: The Early Days of Stock Car Racing

Best Feature Article Award Finalists

Mercedes Lilienthal (New York Times), “10 States, 2,400 Miles and More Than 100 Classic Cars”

Mitch McCullough (Classic Motorsports), “Safari Survivor”

John L. Stein (Hagerty), “Getting My Goat”

Best Road Test Article Finalists

Basem Wasef (The Drive), “2022 Ferrari 296 GTB First Drive Review: The 818-HP Hybrid V6 Doesn’t Disappoint”

Basem Wasef (Motor1.com), “2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS First Drive Review: System Of A Down(Force)”

Basem Wasef (Motor1.com), “2023 McLaren Artura First Drive Review: The Second Life Of Supercars”

Best News Article Finalists

Daniel Miller (Los Angeles Times), “Dream cars and some legal fender benders”

Steven Cole Smith (Car and Driver), “How 'Drive to Survive' Helped Formula 1 Win Over America”

Basem Wasef (Car and Driver), “Go Behind the Scenes as RM Sotheby’s Inspects a Pre-Sale McLaren F1”

Best of Audio Visual Awards Finalists

Dave Kunz / ABC7 Los Angeles, "Acura Integra - Flashback to the '80s"

Basem Wasef and Anna Wyckoff, “Why Does She Hate the Mercedes-Benz W140?”

The Motor Press Guild played a key role recently during Industry Day at the Electrify Expo in Long Beach, where journalists and industry insiders experienced a wide array of electric vehicles, firsthand. From big names like Toyota and BMW to pioneering micromobility startups focusing on electric scooters, skateboards, and bicycles, the event offered a variety of options for test rides, drives, and demos. Even Tesla, known for their aversion to auto shows, had a notable presence. 

Some of the more compelling attractions included an MPG-hosted state of the eTransportation Industry panel discussion, as well as the unveiling of the Hypercraft (an all-new, electric high-performance race vehicle) and the opportunity to test drive electric vehicles such as the BMW i4.  

The panel discussion, hosted by MPG President of the Board Jack Nerad, presented mixed feelings on the state of electric vehicles.  Auto industry veterans Ed Loh (Head of Editorial, MotorTrend) and Ed Kim (President, AutoPacific) joined Nerad on stage in front of a packed house at the Long Beach Convention Center to present and analyze the results of a survey of MPG members on the EV industry. 

More than half of those surveyed believe implementation of EVs is off to a good start, and though the full ramp-up of technology may be 10 years away, the industry has some great vehicles/technology and the start of necessary infrastructure. Conversely, 27-percent of those surveyed believe the ramp-up is only 5 years away, while 19-percent remain uncertain and believe it’s 25 years away.

The biggest obstacle in the development of electric vehicles, according to the MPG member survey, is not price or not range anxiety, nor product misinformation, and it certainly isn’t the raw materials needed for production. The biggest obstacle, members said, is infrastructure. 

More than 50-percent of members surveyed agreed that Tesla is leading growth in the EV segment in terms of product, path to market and consumer sentiment, with runners-up Hyundai Motor Group (including Hyunda, Kia and Genesis) in second place with 20-percent and a small piece of the pie belonging to Toyota, the only other notable manufacturer. 

According to the survey, MPG members believe there’s a long road ahead of us in terms of infrastructure for eTransportation. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so we shouldn’t expect support for EVs to be up and running from day one either. But, before we look at how far we need to go, let’s take a look at how far we’ve come. 

Hypercraft Racing at Pikes Peak with High-Performance EV

During the unveiling of an all-new, all-electric high-performance race vehicle, the Hypercraft, it was announced that Lucy Block, the wife of late action sports superstar Ken Block, will race Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) in partnership with SIERRA Cars and Hypercraft. Doing so in Ken’s honor will perpetuate his legacy and “gives us a way to carry Ken's spirit forward and do something he was excited to do himself,” Lucy Block said.

But, why here? Why now? I caught up with Cole Powelson, founder of SIERRA Cars, and asked him the same thing.

“The Electrify Expo’s probably the best place to debut something like this. You know, the Block family has ties to Long Beach… It just felt right,” said Powelson. “The timing worked out, the location was right, the venue… everything came together in kind of the perfect storm. I can’t imagine a better place to debut it than here.” 

Quick Drive Impressions: All-Electric BMW i4

Being behind the wheel of the BMW i4 eDrive40 proved to be a mundane experience. Lots of people believe electric cars are these performance monsters that’ll tear any ICE car apart. Although the i4 is pretty quick, it sadly felt like a normal EV with a BMW logo slapped on.

The massive 14-inch infotainment screen that stretched from the driver’s side to the center console was more an eyesore than anything else. I wonder if this is the new design for vehicles moving forward or if it’s just a fad. In any case, the driving experience was smooth and fun. The 335 horsepower coming from the single motor via the rear wheels is torquey from a complete stop. The same cannot be said when flooring it from rolling speeds, though the disparity wasn’t too noticeable.

I was pretty swamped with trying to figure out what the heck the “ePower %” gauge to the right of the speedometer was for. In all other cars, that gauge would be RPM. In an EV, it lets you know how much battery power is being used at any given point.

Last but not least, the interior was very calm for a BMW. It had a lot of plastic, which for $60k+, is diffiuclt to swallow. You know how EVs have crazy interiors with buttons and screens all over the place that scream electrification? Well, nothing about the interior of the i4 lets you know that this is an EV, save for the aforementioned 14 inches of screen in your face. 

Final verdict? The BMW i4 eDrive40 doesn’t feel like an exceptional car. If you’re seeking an EV with much better quality control than Tesla, I suggest you perhaps start with a more cost-effective alternative, but if you have the money, go nuts and go BMW. 

National program honors writers, photographers, videographers, and social media producers

May 22, 2023 — The Motor Press Guild, the nation’s largest association of automotive journalists and public relations professionals, is proud to announce the nominations for its Best of Automotive Journalism Awards. The national program, which is designed to promote the highest caliber work in the automotive sphere, solicits entries of the highest quality from across the country. 

“Recognizing and rewarding topnotch work shines a light on our profession,” Jack R. Nerad, President of the Motor Press Guild, said. “In this era, the quality of our work, not just the quantity, deserves to be celebrated. Our long-running awards program does just that.”

The MPG Best of Automotive Journalism Awards program includes books, articles, photographs, audio-visual works, and social media content. Each year the highest achievement in auto journalism from among all the nominees is honored with the Dean Batchelor Award, an award named after one of the nation’s leading lights in auto journalism.

The following is a list of the writers, photographers, and other content creators and their work that has been nominated for the 2022 awards. In order to qualify, an article, video, book, or photograph must have been published for the first time in calendar-year 2022.

Bob D’Olivo Award for Photography Nominations

Randy Wells, Cover of September 2022 issue of Porsche Panorama

Randy Wells, “The Last Porsche 911 ST Race Car”

Evan Klein, “Everyday RSK”

Evan Klein, Cover of April 2022 issue of Porsche Panorama

Nick Berard, “Pedigreed”

Christina Brinkerhoff, Cover of March 2022 issue of Porsche Panorama

Michael Alan Ross, Cover of January 2022 issue of Porsche Panorama

Jan Wagner, “Mustang drifting too close to the wall”

Jan Wagner, “NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Brandon Jones walked away from this”

Best Book Award Nominations

Matt DeLorenzo, How to Buy an Affordable Electric Car: A Tightwad’s Guide to EV Ownership

Randy Lanier with A.J. Baime, Survival of the Fastest

David Dewhurst, Motocross: The Golden Era

Sylvia Wilkinson, Dirt Tracks to Glory: The Early Days of Stock Car Racing

Evan Klein and Scott Black, The Shelby 60^th

Mark R. Brinker and Myron T. Vernis, A Quiet Greatness: Japan’s Most Astonishing Automobiles for the Collector & Enthusiast

Preston Lerner, Shelby American

Best Article Award Nominations

Steven Cole Smith, “How 'Drive to Survive' Helped Formula 1 Win Over America”

Basem Wasef, “2022 Ferrari 296 GTB First Drive Review: The 818-HP Hybrid V6 Doesn’t Disappoint”

Basem Wasef, “2023 McLaren Artura First Drive Review: The Second Life Of Supercars”

Basem Wasef, “2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS First Drive Review: System Of A Down(Force)

Basem Wasef, “Freezing Time: Behind the Scenes of a Moment with Two Landmark Concept Cars at Lingotto”

Basem Wasef, “Go Behind the Scenes as RM Sotheby’s Inspects a Pre-Sale McLaren F1”

Basem Wasef, “GT3 Touring: Design Language of Power”

Basem Wasef, “Everyday RSK”

Basem Wasef, “L.A. Story”

John Chuldenko, “The Road to Recovery”

Jan Wagner, “Gutsy Busch Light CLASH at the Coliseum" revs up a large new audience for NASCAR”

Jan Wagner, “Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach features six major motorsports series”

John L. Stein, “Getting my Goat”

Daniel Miller, “Dream cars and some legal fender benders”

Randy Wells, “The Rodfather - Behind the scenes with the outlaw Gary Emory”

Mitch McCullough, “Le Mans Magic”

Mitch McCullough, “Safari Survivor”

Mercedes Lilienthal, “Worlds Apart, a Friendship Built on Dirt Tracks and 50cc Engines”

Mercedes Lilienthal, “10 States, 2,400 Miles and More Than 100 Classic Cars”

Best of Audio Visual Awards Nominations

Basem Wasef and Anna Wyckoff, “Why Does She Hate the Mercedes-Benz W140?”

Dave Kunz / ABC7 Los Angeles, "Acura Integra - Flashback to the '80s"

Finalists in each of the categories will be announced on June 1. The 2022 Motor Press Guild Best of Automotive Journalism wards will be presented at MPG Drive Day 2023, June 6, at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu.

 

The MPG Awards is a national program, and we’re soliciting works from the best outlets, large and small. We enthusiastically encourage all journalists and photographers to think about the best work that they (or a colleague) have done during 2022 and to get it in as early as possible for judging. Recognizing such work is something that encourages excellence in our chosen profession, and that helps to make what we do better understood by all.

In order to qualify, an article, video, book, or photograph must have been published for the first time in 2022. We’d like to invite you to make a submission. 

Have you written or read a great automotive news story this year? Is there a video, photograph or social media post that has turned your head, or a book that has informed you and caught your interest? 

You can submit your own work or inspire others to submit their work, whether they are MPG members or not. If you’ve discovered a colleague’s work and think it is worthy of submission, but you’re not connected to them, you can email us at info@MotorPressGuild.org, and give us the details so that we can reach out and invite them to submit.

To submit an entry access the MPG Awards entry form.

This year's Electrify Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center promises to be the best ever. And there is no doubt it will be a great event for MPG members because MPG has joined the event organizers to create a special panel discussion and lunch exclusively for our members.

Electrify Expo wants your opinions regarding important issues revolving around vehicle electrification. Those opinions will be collected and released to the public at the Expo’s media day as part of MPG’s participation the event. 

So please Take the Electrify Expo / MPG Survey.

The Electrify Expo - MPG meeting, panel discussion, and luncheon will occur on Friday, May 19, at the Long Beach Convention Center. Details on the luncheon speakers and logistics will be announced soon, but mark your calendar today.

You can also sign up to participate in this special event by clicking here and taking the survey.

Following up on our very successful 2022 event, MPG Drive Day will be held on Tuesday, June 6, at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. It will include the opportunity to drive and evaluate new 2023 and 2024 model-year vehicles on the beautiful and challenging roads surrounding the ranch. The popular off-road course is back, too, promising to be more challenging — and more fun — than ever.

In addition to exciting driving, MPG Drive Day will include breakfast, lunch, and snacks for all MPG member participants. As a bonus, we will hold our MPG Awards presentation ceremony during our midday lunch. This will give us the opportunity to honor all the great work by our members and others during 2022. 

MPG Drive Day is open to all current MPG members.

 The day-of participation fee is $125, but MPG members can reserve their spot with an early-bird discount ($95). Journalist and Analyst members may drive test vehicles at the event. All other active members, photographers, and guests may ride along and join us for breakfast, lunch, and awards. 

Go to the events page to register. Don't forget- you must be a member in good standing to register!

Since we have entered the second quarter of 2023, many of you have inquired why we haven’t opened up membership renewal and dues payment. Our new system, as outlined above, is the reason. After struggling with a so-so system for years, we have replaced it with a state-of-the-art system that you should find very easy to use.

Membership renewals are now open and can be completed by clicking on this link. 

In addition to the traditional membership levels, we have added enhanced levels for Journalist and Public Relations members. These premium levels enable members to enhance their directory listings with additional information and links. 

Payment is straightforward and easy to complete. Membership cards are available for self-printing. 

Please remember that all MPG memberships are on a calendar year basis, so the time to renew your 2023 membership has arrived. And remember, too, that our Drive Day event and many other events are “members only.” So please renew your membership today.

Most of you should receive an email to log into the new website and renew your membership. Email info@motorpressguild.org if you need assistance.