TopGear MY magazine goes digital, says pandemic accelerated digital growth

TopGear Malaysia has brought back its magazine but this time in digital form after an 18-month print hiatus. The September 2021 issue is its first-ever dedicated digital edition and the publication is currently offering a free subscription for the rest of the year. Some of the ads featured in the new issue come from brands including Volvo, Petron, Aston Martin, Mazda, and Peugeot Malaysia.

It has also adapted its most memorable pre-FMCO drives and reviews to the magazine, offering users a fresh take on cars such as the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, Audi A5 Sportback, and Porsche Taycan. At the same time, many of the local features have also been enriched with interactive features such as videos, slideshows and links. A+M has reached out for additional information about the marketing strategies and clients involved.

Editor Daryl Loy said in his note that in the 18 months since its last printed issue, the team tried to keep busy on TopGear.com.my and on its social media platforms. He added:

In some ways, the pandemic has accelerated our digital growth. That said, we continue to receive requests to reboot the magazine to this day.

According to him, the idea of the new digital edition is to bridge the timeless reading experience and visual vibrance of the magazine spreads and a format that everyone has gotten more accustomed to through months of lockdown and working from home. "And the timing feels apt because as I write, the authorities have finally given the long-awaited green light for automotive businesses to restart assembly lines and reopen showrooms," he added. TopGear Malaysia is a licenced publication of BBC's TopGear magazine and is published by TG Automotive Media.

Separately, TopGear Malaysia ceased the Chinese version of its print magazine last year, explaining in a Facebook post that its last edition, which was also its 67th issue, was in March 2020. Magazine subscribers were also refunded.

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