Former ‘Top Gear’ crew to launch DriveTribe social network

By Imad Khan July 1, 2016

drivetribe launch social network img 1416 — Ian Hughes/Flickr

The former Top Gear crew seem to be embracing the internet in a whole new way. Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond have announced that their new social network, DriveTribe, will be launching this autumn.

Details are scarce, but each of the founders shared a quote of what they would like to see from this new venture. For Hammond, “Gamers have got Twitch, Travelers have got Trip Advisor and Fashion fans have got, oh, something or other too. But people who are into cars have got nowhere. There’s no grand-scale online motoring community where people can meet and share video, comments, information and opinion. DriveTribe will change that. And then some.”

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May had similar aspirations, writing that, “This is pure digital inclusivity. Some of the world’s most endangered tribes — Volvo enthusiasts, for example — will now have a voice as loud as everyone else’s.” While Hammond and May shared ambitious comments for their new online automotive Mecca, Clarkson had a simpler outlook: “I didn’t understand DriveTribe until Richard Hammond said it was like YouPorn, only with cars.”

It seems that leaving the show hasn’t changed each member’s personality, or sense of humor.

While Hammond feels there aren’t any social networks out there for car enthusiasts, that’s not entirely true. There’s the out-of-date meme-filled Car Throttle, an enthusiast social network that syncs with Facebook.

Reports from earlier this year mentioned that this venture is being headed by entrepreneur Ernesto Schmitt and former Top Gear producer Andy Wilman.

Now that the site is live, the three hosts are looking for people who can head various communities in their new social network. If you were that Volvo fan May was referring to, all you would have to do would be to explain why you would be a great Tribe Leader and submit some samples of your work, whether it be written or video.

It will be interesting to see if or how DriveTribe syncs with the trio’s new online show, The Grand Tour, which is set to premiere on Amazon this fall.

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