Daniel launches into modified market

Guild member Daniel Bevis is launching a new print magazine for modified cars, named Copacetic – the launch issue will go on sale in WHSmith and high street independent outlets from 17th June, and will also be available via the magazine’s own website. 

Daniel is a seasoned veteran when it comes to writing about modified cars. A freelancer for 15-plus years, he’s written more than 2,500 magazine features for the likes of Fast Car (useless trivia point, the magazine that back in 1991 gave your News Briefs editor his first proper job as Deputy Editor!) Octane, Banzai, Retro Cars, Performance VW, BMW Car, Modern Classics, Classic & Sports Car, VolksWorld and many other titles. He was previously editor of Mini Magazine and Fast Ford, and is currently editor of MiniWorld.

So why Copacetic, and why now? “I think there’s a genuine opportunity for a magazine like this,” Daniel told News Briefs. “There’s an increasing shift toward beautifully-crafted boutique coffee-table magazines, with the likes of The Road Rat and Magneto joined by a raft of single-marque titles, but such a thing doesn’t exist for modified cars.”

He added that Copacetic is a broad church, encompassing all marques, styles, genres and eras. “The aim here is to destigmatise the term; for a lot of people, ‘modified cars’ still conjures images of ’90s lads mags and burnouts on seafronts, of lowbrow humour and misogyny, but the scene has moved on a lot since then. 

“Look at the popularity of high-end restomods, for example – a Singer 911 or an Eagle E-Type is perhaps the ultimate expression of a modified car for the 2020s.”

A further aim is to be all-inclusive; “There’s still a hunger for those old-school nineties modified cars (indeed, they’re enjoying a bit of a renaissance), and Copacetic will celebrate those, but we’ll also feature everything from race cars to OEM concepts, custom show builds, low-volume supercars, dragsters, lowriders… if it’s outside of the mainstream, that’s where we’re at.”

Writers on the magazine include former Top Gear/The Grand Tour script editor Richard Porter, artist/podcaster Helen Stanley, ex-Evo staffer Antony Ingram, GOMW committee member Trinity Francis and Magneto’s Alex Goy. 

The highly diverse content for the launch issue  includes a host of feature cars among them the Ringbrothers’ restomodded Buick Grand National, a Renault 5 Turbo 3E, Theon Design 911, MZR RoadSports 240Z, Koenig Specials BMW 635CSi, Liberty Walk Lamborghini Aventador, Polestar BST Concept, Chevrolet Nova drag wagon and an XE-swapped Vauxhall Nova. 

There’s also a behind-the-scenes look at trim specialists d:class automotive, a show report from the Retro Rides Weekender, Richard Porter’s deep-dive into the history of how moonshining led to NASCAR, and Daniel promises plenty more besides.

Issue 1 is available to pre-order on the website and the magazine has an Instagram feed at @copacetic_magazine.