Wow, what a ride it has been. This will be my final editorial, and it's only now dawning on me how far we've come over the past year and a half. It has been truly amazing, however it's time to let someone else have a steer.
Although I didn't know it at the time, it was this post back in 2008 that led me down the path to where I am today. It was how Rod and I crossed paths and, some two years later, I found myself with a one way ticket to the Northern Hemisphere to embark on an adventure that I will never, ever forget.
When I first started, Rod mentioned how Speedhunters was a life changing experience for him. And I can now agree with that unequivocally.
My time here has been a memorable journey. Despite having fewer resources last year, the team banded together and delivered a vintage era of Speedhunting. We made small, progressive tweaks to our formula as we strived to make our feed more immersive. We added weight, depth and substance to our features. We shook things up by covering new genres, and tried to show you what goes on behind the scenes.
Our ambition from the get go was to make you feel like you were right there with us, every step of the way.
The team never took their foot off the gas, and it's truly humbling to see our monthly audience swell from 400k to one million in such a short period of time. I sincerely hope you've enjoyed the ride thus far.
But where to from here? With such a large, global audience now tuning in, it was time to give Speedhunters a reboot. I'm sure everyone would agree that we've outgrown our site's infrastructure, which has been showing its creaking bones for a while now.
You would have noticed that the site has been quieter than usual over the past few months. With most racing series' on their off season break, we have been diverting efforts onto special projects, which include some long overdue improvements to the site. Just as teams and drivers have used the winter months to regroup for their assault on a new championship, we too have been building towards the new season.
This new phase has seen the management of Speedhunters move from Vancouver to EA's DICE studio in Sweden. Rest assured that you're in good hands, as there's no one better suited to guiding Speedhunters than the person who created it: our m8 Rod. There are some exciting times ahead which Rod will announce in the very near future.
Over the past year and a half I've collaborated with talented and inspiring people from all corners of the world, and I honestly could not have asked for a better team to work with. To each and every one of you, I thank you.
It's through the unwavering passion and support of so many people that Speedhunters has become what it is today.
In my eyes Speedhunters has, and always will be, more than just a website or blog. To me, Speedhunters is about the desire to explore this thing we call car culture.
It's a journey of discovery, and with each day of 'hunting we unravel just that little bit more.
Speedhunters has opened our collective eyes to what's really out there. It's a window into events you've never heard of in countries you'd never visit.
With the digital age breaking down geographical boundaries, Speedhunters has removed our blinders and shown us there's a whole other world of cars beyond our comfort zone.
My hope is that you see Speedhunters as an opportunity to learn, appreciate and accept the diversity within our culture, instead of chastising and hating others for being different. Irrespective of our personal preference or style, we should remember that we all share the same underlying love of cars.
Being the Editor-in-Chief of Speedhunters has been more than a job. It has been a privilege.
- Charles Kha
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Thanks for all that you did.... respect
I would like to be the first to say thank you for you work and good luck to you in what ever you decide to do in the future. ive loved the site since i first heard about it and it has helped me get more into photography. so for that i thank you my friend.
Thanks for everything you've done for SH and us of course!
I wish you all the best for your futur and hope will be able to read you again.
Cheers!
Cheers Charles! Thanks for all the adventures you've shared. Much love (no homo) and respect from the http://CustomPinoyRides.com crew.
Cheers and thanks
speaking of game changers
Charles you set a very high benchmark :O)
Thanks for lots and lots of great evenings, toilet sessions at work and perfectly spent time in cues waiting to get my weekly party dosis.
Keep it up man :O)
Thomas
Thanks for all that you have done. You will be missed but I am sure we havent heard the last of you (we hope).
Follow me in Twitter @Ema_Chiarella
Honestly this site has done all that you've said. Opened my eyes to other styles and cultures that i have truly grown to appreciate. This site is DEFINITLEY more than just a blog, and i thank you for every minute of it!
Thank you for everything you have done. This editorial was beautiful, it really shows how you can use car culture to reflect on your life as a whole. Thank you for everything, we will miss you!
You all have done exactly what you mentioned here. Opened my eyes to different car cultures and made me realize that different, isn't bad.
What! You've done an amazing job Charles, best of luck on your future endeavors.
charles thank you! thank you especially for getting rid of sticker bombing on this site and putting more peformance!! cant believe your going
Since doing a minute of silence would be out of place, I would like to dedicate you this: a minute of noise straight from a Can-Am McLaren V8 engine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9ZHMjdzw0w0#t=38s
VROOM VROOM!
Wait, Charles is leaving?! DAFUQ?!
Charles - It's been a great working with you over the past couple seasons of Formula DRIFT. Keep me posted on your future endeavors. Thanks for everything and good luck!
Outstanding work sir. I am immensely grateful. Where does the road take you from here?
Love your passion and enthusiasm for the car culture and community. I remember your first kha control, sad to watch you leave behind another amazing automotive fraternity (first autosalon now speedhunters).
I Read on ea forums that they shut blackbox. is this why? since around this time you and linbherg have been more quiet
So your gone now?
Charles, you guys have done great. This is by far the best website i have found when it comes to automotive culture. It isn't the average "slam your civic" blog, it has taste, and structure, and most of all variety. I hope that whomever you hand us off to that they dont change that. Thanks for everything sir.
We look foward to living more global car life.
Thank you for helping us see things, some of us could never see on our own.
too bad you are leaving man
You have my MAD RESPECT- A JOB WELL DONE! Speedhunters runs through ALL our veins- its all about the cars in the end.
Thank you
You will be missed Charles, but I am sure we'll see you'll around from time to time...I absolutely love the culture that is Speedhunters and its is very inspirational in my approach to cars in general and I hope it continues post Kha.
Charles, you are an inspiration and your pleasant calm nature is very admirable. All the best in your future endeavors and what a great pleasure to meet you in person.
thank you speed hunters you guys rock
"we should remember that we all share the same underlying love of cars"
Thank you for all your great work Charles!
Thank you for everything that you have done. Wishing all the best!
Thanks for your work!!
Charles, the effort that you and the guys put into Speedhunters has not gone unnoticed. At no point did the quality of the site waver, instead the benchmark was raised.
It'll be sad to see you go, but i'm sure Rod will do a great job back at the reigns again.
Wishing you luck on your future endeavours ... maybe back in Australia!
Be good!
You did a lot for speedhunters, props to you my good man. Good luck with the life ahead of you
Further proof Vancouver is a motorsports vacuum. I am surprised speedhintets was based here for as long as it was. Thanks for all the hard work though Charles. Great to see the site grow, i just wish my city wasn't such a blackhole for racing.
God speed Charles. Thanks for all the great work and good luck to you in your next venture!
Tanks to you man for sharing all this automotive emotions!!! Wish you all the best for the future
Your final lines about understanding that we all love the cars and hating on anothers preference is spot on. Good luck to you.
Nice job! Hope the site will not change a bit.
All the best Charles!!
take care my man.. i've enjoyed your blogs and pics, nice way to bow out - Thanks
Love this site, and have been a regular for years, and will remain so, the variety of car culture thats onhere is the reason i come back time after time, the perfect balance.
Heath
nice job man and thanks for giving me the opportunity to contribute. but now where do I send emails for submissions.....
thanks for the memories!
Thanks for all your hard work. All the Best.
Thanks Charles. Speedhunters has become a website I visit almost daily, just to see what awesome cars you have uncovered for our viewing pleasure.
We will miss your input on this site. So thanks again and good luck.
It's been a real pleasure working with you Charles!! All the best for the future!
Dino
Cheers.
thanks for all your work and efforts Charles, from ASM to Speedhunters...Where to now?
Thank you, Charles.
Charles
The site came on leaps and bounds while you were editor. You did an amazing job. There are people in the industry who dismissed Speedhunters for a long time, wrongly so, but you and the others helped change this attitude in many paddock. A professional Editor with experience.
You will be missed by all the Speedhunters collective. Your editorial sums up how excellent and professional you are.
I assume this is why some of the other regular faces are missing? Well, that is Speedhunters loss.
It's been an absolute pleasure having Speedhunters everyday, thank you so much for opening my eyes to all the car cultures throughout the world.
Thnx men, good luck moving on to new things. definitely a joy to read. I belong to the 600k added since '08 think i have been surfing almost daily since 2009. Hunting for speed is addictive. Speedhunters is boss!
I've been reading since the beginning. Even before the site went live, the preview vids of the drag skyline is my first memory of the site. I love how this site has grown and provided car knowledge for anyone willing to learn. I'm grateful that you and the team have educated, inspired, and provided enthusiasm in the lives of so many people across the world. Thank you for everything you've done with Speedhunters and I wish you the best in your future endeavors. Your photos, editorials and knowledge will be missed.
Thanks Man for all you've led me torwards have a great rest of your life
Thank u for all of your work and contributions. Good luck with your new venture.
Thank you for such dedication and speedhunting
Sorry to see you go Charles, you made a bit impact here and you will be missed. Hope no one else is leaving. It has been quiet for a while on here with some others quite noticeable with their absence.
Amazing work! Congratulations on helpting to create what is easily my "Go To" website for anything automotive. For such a short time, everyone at SH should be proud of themselves for such a massive accomplishment. Thank you for your hard work, it obviously shows in these pages!
I don't know where you're going to next, but they'll definitel benefit from your experience.
Now... where do I sign up to be Editor?
Thank you very much Charles. Your farewell article sums up everything that makes Speedhunters special. Good luck in your future endeavours.
thank you good sir
Charles, congratulations on a game-changing stint at SpeedHunters. It's been a pleasure to read the site under your guidance.
"Bandied together" should be "banded together," non?
Goodbye Charles you will greatly missed
can someone tell me which car is the one in the last pic please?
Thank you for all of the hard-work.. it really shows everytime I visit the site
Speedhunters has become one of my favorite sites and I would argue that it is THE best car culture site on the web.
Thanks again!
Thanks for all the work, you have helped show me a side of carculture I would never have seen. Looking forward to the future of Speedhunters!
I can't agree with every post and article but I will gladly admit I love the site. You guys put out great work and not everything is going to be a masterpiece but the site as a whole is a masterpiece. I wish you the very best and hope to keep seeing your words on paper or online in the future!
Thanks so much for the awesome Pictures and Write ups... you'll be missed dude
Thanks so much for the awesome Pictures and Write ups... you'll be missed dude
I will miss sharing a photo hole with you.
You came a hell of a long way from designing t-shirts in the corner of the office dude.
Godspeed Charles, Thank You.. very nice ride..:)
Thanks and all the best
Thanks. Your hard work is greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Your job keeps our passion alive!!!!! Thank you so much!
Great job Charles... You will be missed and good luck with your next endevour!!!
Charles, Thanks for all the great work you have done for the site. Its been a great ride!
Thanks from all the sydney TGS crew!
Thanks for Austosalon and thanks for your posts on Speedhunters!!!
Charles, thanks for what you've done!
You have done a great work this past year. I've seen Speedhunters improve from what used to be a majorly US car culture blog, to a full fledged all around the world reference for what's new in the Car Culture. It is probably my no. 1 source for what happens out there, anywhere!
Thank you so much for your work Charles! It will remain in our minds and hearts for years to come!
Cheers mate! hell of a job u did!
Thanks for all the great blogs and good luck for the future!
Charles, Thanks for your great work. I hope the best for you.
Thanks for everything Charles
Woo Charles!!! I miss Autosalon magazine
Thanks for all your posts and good luck!!!
So long Charles!
Life is a motoring journey...
We have been glad to have you and wish you all the best in the future.
På gensyn:)
Thank you Charles, it's been fantastic working with you. Your generosity, passion and elevator farts (WTAC11!) will be sorely missed.
Cheers,
Matt
Thank you so much Charles for your contributions! Speedhunters has truly changed my life for the better; I am overjoyed that this site exists and can provide enthusiasts with broad coverage of all the motoring mania that's happening all over the globe! Best of luck with everything in the future!
Thanks Charles
I've always enjoyed your insight, best of luck in your future endeavors and keep up the good work!
Thank you very much Charles for the great work you have done at Speedhunters. I stumbled on this site last year and i have to say it changed my life, opened my eyes, taught me a lot that i have shared with numerous people in Kenya.... its through this site that i came to love drifting, had motivation to do my first engine rebuild at home and many other things.
We wish you great success and God speed in your endeavors and look forward to a refreshed Speedhunters era... The house that Rod Built.
Thank you once again.
Thank you for everything you've done.
Thanks for the great work and story's. My eyes have been opened!
Thanks for everything, Charles. I've been following your work since Auto Salon mag, and you even printed one of my letters to you. I'm the dude who invited you to check out Sepang F1 circuit and take a tour around our garages whenever you're in Kuala Lumpur. The offer still stands!
Thanks again, and good luck!
SK
Top job charles, Speedhunters is something you should be very proud of. It obviously takes a tonn of effort and it shows 100%
Sad to see you go. Long live speedhunters
Sad to see you leaving!
I appreciate all the kind comments, it means a lot to me. Thank you.
Every member of the Speedhunters team put in an incredible shift during my time with the site, and I'm confident the future will be even bigger and brighter here on SH. I'm excited to see what's in store
Regards,
Charles Kha
Thanks for everything man, and best of luck to you in future endeavors.
Cheers for the great posts over the years , good luck in the future !
Cheers for the great posts over the years , good luck in the future !