Clarkson, Hammond, And May Are Starting A Website.

Of all the announcements we thought we’d hear this week, this is pretty high on the list of didn’t-see-that-coming.

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As the old Top Gear boys continue to struggle with naming their show, this might shed some light on both that and the direction they’re going with the future of their careers. Variety is reporting that C, H, &M are starting a website called “DriveTribe.” The concept is pretty similar to other sites out there, but this has the guys interacting with users on, potentially, a daily basis.

Hammond spoke to Variety to talk about the new venture.

Former “Top Gear” hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, who are preparing to launch a car show for Amazon, have partnered with tech entrepreneur Ernesto Schmitt to create DriveTribe, a digital media platform for car enthusiasts, Variety can exclusively reveal. Former “Top Gear” executive producer Andy Wilman is also on board the venture, which has been co-funded by the five partners.

DriveTribe, which aims to become the digital home for motoring fans worldwide, is structured into different “tribes,” each with their own characteristics and personality. Each tribe will be hosted by stars, bloggers, writers and videographers, including Clarkson, Hammond and May, who will generate and curate their own content for fans. Users sign up to the tribes that reflect their personal motoring interests, and can also create their own tribes. “What we are looking to do is build a next-generation vertical that is dedicated to motoring, and that really combines content, social and commerce,” Schmitt said. The content will be produced both by professional content creators, and the users.

Hammond said that he, Clarkson and May would be interacting with DriveTribe users on a daily basis. “We are very excited just to get to grips with this thing. We can’t wait to see it,” he said. “It presents 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. Everything we’ve learned about it means we have the opportunity to connect with people many times and in many different ways.”

So yes, soon you may be able to converse in some way with your favorite British automotive personalities. But this sounds familiar right?

If you’re thinking it’s been done before, you’re only half right. Car Throttle is the website that comes to mind when hearing about this structure of a site. I think it’ similar, but different. Car Throttle is more of a social media platform, if you will. DriveTribe sounds more like and IJReview where you can have you own blog within a blog. Maybe more like a Blogger or WordPress for cars.

Speculation will run rampant with this up until its launch, that’s for sure, but we’re excited to see something new in the car website space. Hell, we did it and you all seem to like it!

(Source: Variety)