Is DriveTribe YouPorn for cars?

Leave it to Automologist MAC to discover the free porn site equivalent for cars...

So, the Grand Tour has launched and proven to be a fantastic success. For those of you who have bothered to subscribe and find the going-ons of Messrs. Hammond, Clarkson and May to your taste, then perhaps you should consider signing up for the dynamic trio's latest offering, a social media network called DriveTribe. The site that launched yesterday has been the subject of incredible media hype since it was first teased back in April, so much so that 21st Century Fox has backed it to the tune of US$6.5 million already. But like me, you may already be asking the question: What is it?

DriveTribe is headed up by ex-EMI President, Ernesto Schmitt, who describes the network as a "next-gen vertical" dedicated to motoring, that is capable of combining content with social media with commerce, which of course sounds like someone has eaten an MBA dictionary for breakfast. In modern business-speak, the very annoying use of the word “vertical” refers to being an expert in one field of interest or expertise, and is described not surprisingly as one of the 45 most annoying pieces of business jargon by Forbes Magazine. So, in other words, it is a social media site where petrolheads can talk to each other.

According to a quote attributed to Jeremy Clarkson, even he was somewhat confused at first until the point apparently when Richard Hammond described it as "like YouPorn, only with cars". So then, it is like Facebook but tailored specifically for 'tribes' of enthusiasts, such as the Skoda fan club, perhaps one of the world's most endangered tribes. It is an opportunity for people, who would probably bore the pants off most of us, to get together and talk about a subject that they are incredibly passionate about.

If you want to take a look at it, all you need is to do is visit drivetribe.com and sign in with your Facebook account, and you are well on your way. There, you will find a plethora of ‘tribes’ where you may contribute articles and pictures and comments, and join in the good-humoured banter that seems to be available in great measure on the site.

So, how does this all relate to the Grand Tour? Well, officially it doesn’t. This is a completely separate venture and Amazon is seemingly comfortable with the ex-Top Gear trio working on DriveTribe in between working on the new show.