Drive (web series)
Drive (stylized as /DRIVE) is a YouTube channel with web video series dedicated to car reviews, bike adventures, driving adventures, and motorsports coverage. Launched on January 2, 2012, DRIVE was the first new series to air as part of Google's original content initiative. Michael Spinelli and Ray Wert of Jalopnik.com, Gumball 3000 veteran Alex Roy of Team Polizei, Matt Farah of TheSmokingTire.com, and Chris Harris of EVO magazine were part of the initial launch season and remain key contributors to the DRIVE channel. Season 2 of DRIVE launched on April 2, 2012. Season 4 of DRIVE launched on October 8, 2012.
According to its YouTube channel description, the overall goal of DRIVE is to provide quality web content that "celebrates the culture of cars, taking the audience on the road, to the races, to the factories, to the studios -- and to other places car lovers have always wanted to go, but never had the chance". The diverse lineup of DRIVE series offers video content for any type of car lover.
Two shows, Shakedown and Road Testament, were moved from Fast Lane Daily.
Format
DRIVE works on a quarterly schedule. Between January and March as well as July and September of every year, two shows air each week: Live and Let Drive and TUNED. Between April and June, October to December, three shows air each week: DRIVEN, Big Muscle, and RideApart. Running every week of the year are Chris Harris on Cars, SHAKEDOWN, and Road Testament.
DRIVE shows
SHAKEDOWN
SHAKEDOWN, hosted by Leo Parente, airs Mondays and Fridays. SHAKEDOWN is all race-oriented, covering anything motorsport-related. Cars, drivers, tracks, rules, and news; SHAKEDOWN covers it all.
Chris Harris on Cars
CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS, hosted by Chris Harris, airs on Wednesdays. CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS is exactly what title says, Chris Harris talking cars. Episodes range from track days to road tests, reviews to comparisons, and sometimes a mix of everything.
Road Testament
ROAD TESTAMENT, mostly hosted by Mike Spinelli and Leo Parente, airs Tuesdays during Season 2 and is expected to take a break during Season 3 and return in Season 4. ROAD TESTAMENT touches on automotive news, the direction the automotive industry is going, and hosts InterViews with key players in the industry (or just opinionated enthusiasts).
Live and Let Drive
LIVE AND LET DRIVE, hosted by Alex Roy, debuted in Season 1. LIVE AND LET DRIVE takes viewers on road trips everyone should try to take, many of which will leave any road warrior jealous. Alex has brought viewers hill climbing in Iceland, to remote tracks in El Salvador,to AREA51, and drifting in Latvia, just to name a few. It's an adventure show where little is planned and nothing is certain. Alex provides the commentary, painting the picture of his adventures like a seasoned author.
After a brief hiatus, LIVE AND LET DRIVE will be back in July 2013 for Season 3 of "DRIVE". It will air on Tuesdays.
Tuned
TUNED!, hosted by Matt Farah, "TUNED" debuted in Season 1. "TUNED" focuses on vehicles that are highly modified or one-off creations, and the people that create them. An episode usually includes A Tour of the vehicle's production facility, interviews with the engineers and owners, and a test/review of the vehicle on a road or race track.
Vehicles were provided by both tuning shops and individual owners. In Season 1 Matt Farah drove cars from reputable tuners like BBI AutoSport (Porsche 997 Turbo S), SWITZER (Nissan GTR), STILLEN (Nissan 370Z), Hotchkis Suspension (Dodge Challenger). Other vehicles included a home-built 750 horsepower Lotus, the Blastolene "Decoliner", and Subaru rally cars.
TUNED is currently airing on Monday.
RideApart
RIDEAPART, hosted by former MotoGP racer Jamie Robinson, debuted in Season 2. It explores the entire world of motorcycles: street bikes, customs, dirt bikes, old bikes, new bikes, as well as riding tips and techniques. The world of motorcycle enthusiasts is as diverse as an hobby, and Jamie leaves no stone unturned. He raced a cheap old dirt bike against veterans on a dirt oval track, and rode super moto bikes with racing legend Max Piaggi. RideApart is the one DRIVE show that is primarily dedicated to vehicles on 2 wheels, i.e. motorcycles, the occasional quad bike, and adventure vehicles like ATVs.
Trackside
TRACKSIDE is just straight footage (no host) and features unadulterated trackside footage of racetracks from around the globe. Each video is designed to bring the track side/race experience to the viewer. It's a beautiful "show", and a must-see for any motorsport fan.
Big Muscle
BIG MUSCLE with Mike Musto debuted in Season 2 and has since amassed a large, loyal following of fans. The name of the show is exactly what you'll get - Muscle Cars, both new and old. Mike tries to find cars with story, history, and interesting owners. He drives the gamut of classic cars, from a 1929 dragster to a $500,000 1968 Camaro.
Jalopnik on Drive
JALOPNIK ON DRIVE is slated to air every Friday but to-date appears to not have a specific schedule. The show is supposed to bring the popular Jalopnik to life.
Drive Central
DRIVE CENTRAL airs weekly to provide a PREview of the week's programming. It is (usually) hosted by Mike Spinelli.
Driven
DRIVEN, is hosted by JF Musial. It takes viewers to some of the most coveted destinations around the world. Places like the Pagani factory, the McLaren factory, and the Nurburgring. It debuted in Season 2 and is expected to take a hiatus in Season 3 and back in Season 4. In the April 24th, 2012 episode of DRIVEN, the first images of the Pagani 760RS were revealed while the DRIVE team filmed an episode at the Pagani headquarters.
Inside Koenigsegg
This show gives an inside look at one of the most premier and [...]-edge automotive manufacturers ever, Koenigsegg. The builders of record-setting hypercars, Koenigsegg is at the forefront of automotive engineering. The show, hosted by company founder and principal, Christian Von Koenigsegg, shows you how these INCredible machines are made. From a paint job that requires 200 hours of polishing, to the extensive use of carbon fiber, to revolutionary suspension engineering. It is a nine-part series, produced at Koenigsegg headquarters in Angelholm, Sweden.
Drive Clean
DRIVE CLEAN, hosted by Larry Kosilla, premiered on June 9, 2012. Larry is one of the most respected automotive detailers in the entire world, called upon by celebrity clientele to care for the most important and delicate cars in their collection. He shows you proper care car in pain-staking detail. Everything, from simply washing a car, to repairing 50-year old paint, is offered up step-by-step. If you take care of your car, you must watch this show.
Other DRIVE programming
Porsche IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama
In 2012 DRIVE featured coverage of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge.
25 Hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
DRIVE hosted a 25-hour live stream of the 24 Hours of Le Mans to cover the 2012 race, featuring the DRIVE hosts discussing the race and interacting with viewers. The live stream is widely regarded as the most watched motorsports event on YouTube.
2012 Race of Champions & 2012 Race of Nations
Reception
DRIVE is one of the most popular automotive channels on YouTube, receiving a total of 28,491,328 views. It's quickly developed a loyal audience, with 156,993 subscribers as of October 2012.