Jeremy Clarkson launches 'YouPorn for cars' social network
You can now "bump" Clarkson - not as exciting as it sounds
Some of us thought we’d seen the last of Jeremy Clarkson after he punched out a TV producer last year because he was a bit hungry. But between The Grand Tour and those incessant Amazon ads, it feels you can’t move for seeing his jowly mush plastered everywhere.
To cap it all off, he’s launched his very own social network platform, along with James May and Richard Hammond, geared towards the old Clarkson faithful – unapologetic petrol heads.
DRIVETRIBE invites car fans to sign up through Facebook, then join six of its “Tribes” – essentially Tumblr-style blogs each dedicated to a different car-related theme. Examples of Tribes include James May’s Carbolics, Hammond’s Fob Jockeys, Future Machines, Vintage Modders and, erm, Dogs in Cars (always amusing, to be fair).
Once you’ve picked your six, your newsfeed contains content posted by each of the Tribes – anything from news stories, photos and clips, opinions from Jezza himself (“Why I hate motorcycles”, for example), or amusing car-based memes. Some Tribes work as an open platform, while others are controlled by one all-powerful “Tribe Leader”.
You can interact by commenting, reposting, or “bumping” content (it’s a “like” Clarkson – just call it what it is).
It’s got serious backing too. DRIVETRIBE’s CEO is tech entrepeneur and former EMI president Ernesto Schmitt, while 21st Century Fox have poured £4.9 million into the venture.
"I didn’t understand DriveTribe until Richard Hammond said it was like YouPorn, only with cars," Clarkson told The Telegraph.
That’s kind of gross, but OK.
Hammond also called DRIVETRIBE "an opportunity to get to a whole lot of people about a subject about which we are incredibly passionate, occasionally knowledgeable, and often quite stupid... Gamers have got Twitch, travellers have got Trip Advisor, and fashion fans have got, oh, something or other too. But people who are into cars have got nowhere."
James May chipped in too, calling it “pure digital inclusivity” – a place where “endangered tribes” such as Volvo enthusiasts will be given a voice.
It’s very easy to sign up to (we were in and using it in a matter of seconds) and there’s actually plenty to enjoy for non-car obsessives, but at least a passing interest for Top Gear-style frolics would help.
Check out the DRIVETRIBE trailer below.
